


The Tale of the Stranger and the Wolf

by jisooluvs



Category: BLACKPINK (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst, Dimension Travel, F/F, Psychological Horror, Romance, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-14
Updated: 2020-07-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:20:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 24,726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24714469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jisooluvs/pseuds/jisooluvs
Summary: A history of tragedy has caught up to Jennie Kim, a casual college student. While escaping the wrath of an immortal of another lifetime, she weaves her way through dimensions and universes, learning more about her history to finally face the responsibility that she should’ve faced eons ago.*Completed*
Relationships: Jennie Kim/Kim Jisoo
Comments: 4
Kudos: 28





	1. Replica

**Author's Note:**

> This story was inspired by a lot of movies and video games that I loved the concepts of and chose to make it my own, so if you happen to recognize any familiar elements, then that's why. I worked on this plot on and off for a few years. I was going for more of a mind twister for this one.
> 
> I hope you enjoy it and feel free to leave an upvote and comment if you do! 

On a cold fall day, Jennie Kim would love nothing else but to snuggle under her warm covers and watch Netflix. Unfortunately for her, her college roommate, Lisa Manoban, dragged her out of their apartment to visit a museum very much far away from the comfort of her bed.

Jennie’s face twisted in annoyance when Lisa pulled her by the arm and jumped from exhibit to exhibit. “Isn’t that painting so cool?” Lisa asked, pointing at a disturbing image of two men welded together by the torso.

Jennie’s brows furrowed at the image, quickly losing interest, and looked around. There were couples and a few families around. It was a Saturday evening, a typical day to have a family vacation to a museum full of weird art.

“It’s disturbing.” Jennie replied to not leave her friend hanging.

“Over here!” Lisa exclaimed like an excited child and pulled Jennie across the gallery. “It’s way cooler.”

Lisa was an art major, so Jennie understood her fascination for such concepts. The least she could do as a friend was go with her to visit these places. Jennie reluctantly allowed Lisa to lead her.

This part of the museum was a lot less crowded. There were no kids, only a man and woman inspecting a sculpture at the corner.

“Look.” Lisa said under her breath, like she didn’t want to disturb a baby.

Jennie trailed Lisa’s finger to where it was pointed to: A large statue at the far end of the gallery. It was kneeling, resting its hands on the floor. Large chains wrapped around its wrists. The hyper realisticness of it made Jennie uneasy, but she was intrigued by it. She didn’t realize her feet were moving until she was in front of the statue, the rope barrier preventing her from going further. The wings looked like real feathers, absorbing all light. Jennie felt an urge to run her fingers through them.

“It’s Death.” Lisa read from the gold plaque displayed next to Jennie.

Another painting caught her eye and she quickly walked over to it. “The Battle of Heaven and Hell” it said.

“I didn’t think that this part of the whole museum would interest you this much.” Lisa commented from behind her. “It’s almost lunch time. You can stay here if you want, but I’m going to buy us some sandwiches.”

Jennie heard Lisa’s footsteps grow fainter until it was just her, the statue, and the painting. Even the man and woman were gone.

Jennie could hear noises coming from the painting. She leaned across the rope barrier and pressed her ear as far as she could to listen.

It was cries of pain. Heartbreaking cries of pain, torture, loss. There was a sound of cackling fire, consuming everything in its wake like a monster. The ringing sounds of steel clashing against steel.

Jennie shuddered and withdrew from the painting. She made her way out the gallery to meet up with Lisa, until a low, ominous voice whispered into her ear.

“Help me.”

Jennie’s head whipped around and scanned the area, blood turning cold. The temperature of the room dropped suddenly. She shook it off and took another step when she recoiled from walking into an invisible wall.

_What is this?_ Jennie pressed her hand on the invisible force in front of her. She couldn’t push through.

“Come closer.”

Jennie’s eyes wandered to the statue. It was either her mind playing tricks on her, or it got closer. Shaking, she slowly walked to the statue. It didn’t look like the initial marble statue she saw with Lisa. This time, it was more realistic, with veins and creases in the face. The ebony feathers seemed to be moving and alive.

“I’m chained.”

Jennie considered the chains around the wrists, but then she scoffed. Someone must be pranking me. Her mind thought of those mischievous kids at the front of the museum. She turned and walked away.

The place suddenly began shaking. It shook so violently Jennie was thrown off her feet. Paintings fell from their walls and sculptures crumbled into pieces. Everything fell, except the statue and the Battle of Heaven and Hell painting.

The marble floor under Jennie cracked with a loud boom. The walls cracked. However, dust and debris didn’t come out of it. Out came blood.

The walls were bleeding.

Jennie stared in horror and shock as the walls gave away, revealing flesh. Living, pulsating, flesh. Throbbing like a heartbeat, purple veins flowing throughout.

“You know who you are and what you’ve done.”

The statue stood up. The once white marble eyes turned crimson red. Its eyes trained on Jennie and stepped forward. The chains limited the distance it could go. It pulled at the chains.

“You’ve done this to me.”

Jennie was not the type to break her composure of a confident person, but this definitely freaked her out. She squeaked and scrambled away. The blood seeping from the walls already made a one inch pool around her.

“A setback of heart won’t be enough to save you from my wrath.”

The blood was getting higher, forcing Alayna to stand up to get air. The ceiling disappeared, revealing a sky with dark crimson clouds raining dark crimson blood.

“You’ve met with a cursed fate.”

Jennie gasped when the blood reached her chin.

“Remember that.”

Deep laughter echoed from the abyss and Jennie was pulled underneath the blood pool.

> ~

“Jennie!” A familiar voice rang through her ears.

Jennie’s cat eyes opened and found a worried Lisa hovering over her. There were nurses and a doctor on the sides of the bed.

“What happened?” Jennie asked drowsily.

“I came back and you were on the ground. You weren’t moving and your nose was bleeding!” Lisa exclaimed. “It was bleeding a lot!”

The mention of blood shot pain and dizziness in Jennie’s head. She turned and vomited over the other side of the bed into a conveniently placed bucket.

“Ms. Manoban, I think Ms. Kim needs some rest.” The doctor said.

Lisa nodded reluctantly and hugged Jennie before leaving. The doctor sat on the chair that Lisa occupied earlier with a clipboard and pen in hand. “My name is Dr. Lee.”

Jennie just stared blankly at him.

“What were you doing at the time you blacked out?”

“I was looking at some paintings.”

“Did any of those paintings trigger something? Like blinding lights would do to a seizure?”

Jennie shook her head. The doctor scribbled something down.

“How about before? Did you get enough sleep? Food?”

“I’ve been sleep deprived a bit, but it’s normal for a college student.” Jennie clicked her tongue. She just wanted to go home.

The doctor was in deep thought and scratched something out. “Do you do drugs?”

Jennie frowned in disbelief and shook her head.

He grunted and stood up. “I’ll be back in a bit. Rest for now.”

> ~

Jennie was let out of the hospital after a day. It was odd that it took that long to get out. She didn’t think her condition was that severe. Lisa picked her up.

“You’re okay with going to school?” Lisa asked, worried like a mother to her child.

“Yes mom.” Jennie said sarcastically.

Jennie felt more exhausted than she had been on Saturday when she trudged along campus. Walking down the hallway, she heard rapid whispering that tickled her ears. Listening intently, she followed it to a billboard plastered with papers and flyers promoting various clubs and events. The whispering sounded like gibberish. She reached her hand out to the wall and pressed it. A squishy sound emitted, followed by blood seeping through the wall and onto her fingers.

“Jennie!”

Jennie twirled around and saw Lisa walking toward her. She looked back at the wall and saw nothing. Her hand was clean. Not one drop of blood.

“There’s a last minute meeting for my dance team.” Lisa said apologetically. “Can you go home alone?”

Alone, Jennie dragged herself and her heavy books to the front door and jumbled with the keys. The door opened, revealing not the living room, but an alleyway. A damp, chilly, dark alleyway. There was a dim light at the end, like a flickering lightbulb.

Jennie set her backpack and books down and stepped into the alleyway. The door immediately shut behind her with a loud bang. The darkness shrouded around her like a coat.

_I guess the only way is forward._

Jennie staggered along the alleyway, her fingertips trailing the damp, coarse brick wall. It was narrow and she felt claustrophobic. It seemed that the light didn’t get any closer. Jennie was tired and leaned against the wall to rest. The light suddenly blinked off.

Now she was in total darkness.

“Over here.” Came a high pitched voice, like a small child.

A little flame flickered at the distance. Jennie pushed herself off the wall. Looking back, it was gone. Just the endless darkness.

Jennie headed toward the flame. The flame grew until it was a raging fire. Screams bursted out of nowhere, forcing Jennie to cover her ears. She felt the flame licking her skin and visions of war. The Battle of Heaven and Hell. Jennie screamed until her lungs were on fire. Literally.

“She’s next.” The same ominous voice from the museum drawled.

> ~

An ice cold towel was placed on Jennie’s forehead. She opened one eye and found Lisa looking over her.

“Lisa…”

“Hush.” Lisa placed a finger on Jennie’s lips and grabbed a bowl of porridge. “You’re burning with fever.”

Burning. That was what Jennie was. She was burning in a fire.

Jennie suddenly spazzed and smacked the spoon out of Lisa’s hand. It flew to the wall, leaving a glob of porridge sliding down it.

“Jennie..?” Lisa faltered.

Jennie covered her face with her hands and sighed heavily. “Lisa…”

“I think I’m going crazy.”

Lisa’s brows furrowed with worry and she set the bowl aside. “What do you mean?”

Jennie shuddered and fiddled with her clammy hands. “I keep on having these strange visions and dreams. It’s like a nightmare. In the museum, I saw the walls bleeding, and the statue came to life. There was whispering. The statue was telling me to help it. Then blood started raining and coming out the walls and I drowned in a pool of it. Right now, I just dreamt of an alleyway. I opened the front door and instead of our living room, it was a dark alleyway. It was scary.”

Jennie didn’t realize she was crying until the tears dropped on the sheets. Lisa hugged her shaking shoulders.

“It’s alright.” Lisa comforted. “I’m sorry I left you when you needed me most.”

Lisa handed Jennie a glass of water. She drank it quickly.

“Get some rest.” Lisa said. “I’ll phone Dr. Lee.”

Jennie kept quiet as Lisa stepped out of the room. She was cold, but the sheets were too stuffy underneath. She looked out the window where the sunny day suddenly became dark and cloudy. She was reminded of the blood rain and shuddered. She grabbed her duck plush and hid underneath the blanket, like a child hiding from the thunderstorm.

> ~

“I think it’s going to rain.” Lisa observed from the couch.

Jennie listened and played with her noodles with mild interest.

“It might be a heavy storm.” Lisa noted. “Campus might close.”

Lisa poked her head over the couch and grinned. “That means we have the whole afternoon to ourselves!”

Jennie gave a small smile and returned to her noodles. Lisa pouted.

“Let’s watch a movie!” Lisa enthusiastically suggested. “How about Up?”

“I’m not really feeling Up today.” Jennie mumbled.

“Jaws?”

Jennie’s mind immediately thought of the blood rain and bleeding walls and shouted, “No!”

Lisa jumped from her sudden outburst and sighed. “I guess we can settle with Back to the Future.”

Lisa got the movie ready while Jennie made popcorn. She watched the popcorn pop through the microwave glass mindlessly. The popcorn suddenly started popping blood spurts. It splattered on the walls of the microwave and a shape formed from the kernels. A hand, scratching and clawing to climb out.

Jennie screamed and fell from her chair. Lisa ran to Jennie’s aid when she heard the racket. “Are you alright?” Lisa asked.

Jennie blinked and looked back at the microwave. The popcorn was normal popcorn, popping normally as popcorn could pop.

“Yeah.” Jennie answered curtly. “I just fell.”

Lisa narrowed her eyes at the lie but didn’t press further. The popcorn finished and Jennie decided to let Lisa eat it all. She didn’t feel like eating popcorn after that.

The storm outside howled loudly. Lisa pumped up the volume of the movie to overcome the disruption, but the television suddenly turned off.

“Damn it.” Lisa muttered. “A blackout.”

Jennie froze. The dark was too dark for dark.

“I’ll call the lobby.” Lisa said.

Jennie grabbed Lisa’s wrist and whispered desperately, “Don’t leave me.”

Lisa was confused at her change of behavior, from a confident girl to a nervous wreck. She smiled reassuringly. “Follow me then.”

Jennie stood up to follow as Lisa rounded the corner and into the hallway. Jennie made heed.

“Hold up. I’ll get flashlights from my room.” Lisa called out and entered her room.

Jennie waited outside the room, tapping her teeth anxiously. _Nothing is going to happen._ She repeated to herself.

The apartment phone started ringing, scaring Jennie out of her wits. She picked it up but only met static. _Maybe the phone line is dead_. She thought and turned around to tell Lisa, but found that the door was shut.

_The door wasn’t shut before…_

Jennie stared confusingly at the door. “Lisa?” She called out. No response.

With shaking hands, she gripped the knob, which was strangely warm in their cold apartment. She turned it.

“Lisa, the phone line is down.” Jennie said when she peeked her head through the door.

No response.

She opened the door a bit wider, but stopped when she stepped on something wet. The dim lighting from the window helped Jennie speculate it. It was red, squishy, and thick.

“Lisa…?”

> ~

“I understand that you are emotionally traumatized right now,” the police officer stated, “but we need all the details we can get.”

Jennie had a blanket over her and stared into space. She was sitting on the edge of an ambulance. Police and paramedics were in front of her apartment.

The police officer sighed and left. Jennie eyed the boxes that were being carried into the ambulances, each one containing a part of Lisa.

Jennie squeezed her eyes shut and felt her noodles rising up from within.

_She died because of me._ Jennie thought. _It’s because of me she died a horrible death._

She couldn’t take the image out of her mind. Lisa was a bloody heap of sawed limbs and organs spewed all over the floor. The stench was horrific.

Another police officer came over. This time a woman. Jennie looked away, hoping that she would take the hint that she didn’t want to talk.

The woman stopped in front of Jennie and crossed her arms. “You can’t just ignore me.” The woman said with a soft, but deep, nasally voice.

Jennie didn’t look at her.

She heard a sigh and a hand cupped Jennie’s face and turned her. Jennie was surprised, both at the sudden action and the angel that faced her.

Not a literal angel, just that she had ethereal beauty. Her slim face, her big eyes, her heart shaped pink lips. Her scarlet hair flowed gracefully. Something that captured Jennie’s attention was her eyes. They seemed to glow golden and blue. There was something familiar about her.

“Are you wearing eye contacts?” Jennie unknowingly blurted out.

The police woman raised her eyebrows in surprise and smirked.

“These are my real eyes, believe it or not.” She replied.

“There’s a lot of things I don’t believe, but they happen.” Jennie huffed.

The woman took a seat next to Jennie. “I know you’re still in shock, but time is running out and you have to get out of here.”

Jennie cast a confused look. The woman was staring ahead.

“The visions you are having are history repeating. The Battle of Heaven and Hell. The Blood Moon eclipse. Seok Jin is seeking revenge. He is playing with your head, inputting these horrid visions. He is the Wolf, after all.” She sounded like she was talking about an old friend. “Obviously, he demands you to free him because he is chained. As much as I hate it…”

The woman turned to meet Jennie’s eyes with fierceness.

“Do. Not. Free. Him.”

Jennie just stared, the words still processing in her head.

“Darkness has consumed every inch of his mind. He caused the Battle of Heaven and Hell. He will bring destruction upon the universe. Not only this universe. Multiple universes, alternate universes.”

She stopped to watch Jennie’s reaction.

“What killed Lisa?” Jennie asked with a small voice.

The woman’s eyes tinged with sadness. “She didn’t die.”

“What?”

Jennie looked to the stack of boxes that were surrounded by police and medics.

“She’s been taken. As a hostage, I’d assume.”

“They’re going to file a death report for her!” Jennie exclaimed. “We need to tell them that she’s been kidnapped.”

The woman gently placed a hand on Jennie’s thigh to stop her from getting up.

“It’s safer this way.”

“Why? What was the body?”

“Just a random woman across the world. Cut to pieces to prevent identification.”

Jennie’s stomach turned. “So a random stranger died because of me.”

“If you want to put it that way.” The woman looked at her watch. It looked irregular. It was golden with strange carvings and shapes around the rim. Instead of numbers, there were planets that seemed to rotate.

“Come on.” The woman said urgently and grabbed Jennie’s wrist.

“Hey!” Jennie protested and yanked her wrist free of her grip. “I don’t even know you and it sounds like you’re kidnapping me. How did you even know about my visions?”

The woman looked impatient, annoyance etched in her face. “Okay. My name is Ji Soo. Kim Ji Soo. Will that make you trust me?”

Jennie hesitated when she heard the name. “No-”

She was shocked into silence when Ji Soo grabbed her hand with an iron grip. The feeling of her soft skin sent a wave of familiarity over Jennie. They weaved past the police officers who didn’t give them a single glance, as if they couldn’t see them at all.

When they left the crime scene, Ji Soo led them toward an alleyway. Jennie froze and Ji Soo looked back.

“What’s the matter?”

Jennie shuddered. “I don’t like alleyways.”

Ji Soo huffed and veered them away from the alleyway. They stopped behind a closed store.

“We don’t have time.” Ji Soo mumbled under her breath. Jennie watched perplexed as Ji Soo reached inside a small pouch that hung from her neck like a necklace. She pulled out a rod that should not have fit inside the tiny pouch. The rod had carvings of a language Jennie didn’t know and a purple, glowing crystal at the tip.

Ji Soo began drawing on the store’s wall. Jennie stared in amazement and disbelief as the rod protruded gold, glowing light like ink. Ji Soo stepped back, observing her illustration: A triangle with a circle in the middle. It began to glow and casted a bright white light. Jennie shielded her eyes with her arms.

“Go.” Ji Soo urged. “It’s coming. I’ll find you when I can.”

A boom was heard in the distance, followed by a roar. “Wait-” Jennie said, but she felt Ji Soo push her by the shoulder blades.  
  


Jennie fell into the unknown abyss.


	2. Crow

Jennie was in a grass field with grass blades that reached to her stomach. Stretching for thousands of miles was only green grass and the blazing sun overhead. She was in a white sundress.

From the distance, laughter sang through the field. Laughter of the youth.

Jennie started walking, her bare feet digging into the rich dirt. The laughter came closer until she could spot two teenagers, barely visible above the grass blades. One was a girl with scarlet hair. Her eyes, laced with gold and blue, danced with glee as a boy chased her. The boy was a few inches taller than her, with tousled, fluffy, jet black hair and the same gold blue eyes.

Jennie smiled at the sight and the innocence of these youths. Out of the blue, there came the sharp caws of crows.

Her smile vanished with dread and she looked up at the sky. The once clear, sunny sky became dark with a cloud of flying black crows circling the field. Thousands of crows. So many that she could hear the booming sound of flapping wings.

The boy and the girl were still playing, still laughing. Jennie blocked her ears when the sound became piercing to her ears and headed toward the children in an attempt to warn them. The children, oblivious to the sudden change of surrounding, were still playing.

The crows swooped down and aimed their sharp, ebony beaks and claws at Jennie. She dived underneath the grass that barred the crows from reaching her. However, a strong breeze of a tornado began to brew and violently blew the grass. The tufts of grass were ripped out of their roots and were whipped away with the wind.

The crows made their descent on Jennie. She screamed from the sensation of claws and beaks tearing her skin open and pecking at the flesh. Through the caws and her cries, the familiar low voice echoed clearly in her head.

“You’ve met with a cursed fate.”

> ~

Jennie jolted awake.

She was in an odd place. From her laid position, she observed a red tarp ceiling with bizarre origami, trinkets, and ornaments hanging by strings. She wrinkled her nose at the strong scent of jasmine mixed with hay.

Her entire body hurt. It ached. She couldn’t remember why.

“Are you awake?”

Jennie turned her head to the right and saw a woman dressed in an equally bizarre manner. Her blonde hair was voluminous with various flowers and trinkets decorating it. Around her neck was a pulsing ruby necklace that contrasted her porcelain skin. She wore a white dress with a mix of patterns such as spirals, dots, and stripes. The white gems at the corners of her eyes glistened.

Jennie groaned and held her throbbing temple as she sat up. The bed she was on had a blue blanket draped over. It was really comfortable, probably made of feathers and fur.

“Where am I?” Jennie asked groggily.

“You’re in my tent.” The woman replied simply.

Jennie gave a blank stare to signal to the woman that she wanted more information. The woman seemed frustrated. “You know, at the Circus.”

“What circus?”

“THE Circus.”

Jennie shook her head in disbelief and stood up. Her clothes, a grey crew neck and high waisted jeans, were still the same since… since that night with Lisa… _that night…?_

“I need to go.” Jennie fretted, missing fragments of memories slowly piecing together. “Do you know a woman named Kim Ji Soo?”

“Kim Ji Soo? Never heard of her.” The woman pondered for a moment, then grabbed Jennie to lead her somewhere. Jennie would’ve fought back, but she was fatigued physically and mentally.

“Where are you taking me?” Jennie demanded with no energy behind her voice.

“The Circus is going to begin soon.” The woman answered. “You need to freshen up. The Ringmaster would want as many people as possible.” She glanced at Jennie’s clothes and clicked her tongue in distaste. “And you need a wardrobe change.”

The woman introduced herself as Seung Wan and her stage name was Wendy. Her tent was really messy with various props, accessories, and clothes strewn everywhere. Jennie almost tripped over a wooden box, but Seung Wan’s grip prevented her from falling. They stepped out of the tent and Jennie couldn’t help but marvel at the sight.

There were numerous tents of many colors lined up in rows along a wide gravel path. Carnival music blasted from somewhere. There were many people, dressed similar to Seung Wan with odd trinkets and clothes, walking, talking, and occupying themselves with carnival games and food. It was like a normal circus. Jennie was yanked forcefully to the right and followed Seung Wan through the maze of tents.

“Here we are!” Seung Wan chirped when they stopped in front of a smaller tent and pushed Jennie inside.

This tent was cleaner than Seung Wan’s. Clothes, instead of on the floor, were hung on closet racks against the wall. Make up materials were neatly aligned on the shelves that were next to make up vanity tables. The tent smelled of rubber and soap.

“Joo Hyun!” Seung Wan sang.

A loud bang followed by a grunt came from the back and a woman emerged from around the corner of shelves. She was wearing blue overalls over a white shirt with different colors splattered on and with different brushes and tools stuffed inside the front pockets. Her wavy ashy brown hair was tied up in a messy bun and her eyes scanned the place and met the two women.

“Yes, Seung Wan?” Joo Hyun chirped.

“I have a friend here that needs to freshen up.” Seung Wan announced and gently pushed Jennie forward. Jennie looked at her with wide eyes. “Don’t worry. She won’t bite.” Seung Wan reassured, patting her shoulder before leaving the tent.

Joo Hyun gave her a small smile, her eyes telling her to trust her, but Jennie was still dubious. “Let’s get you a shower.” Joo Hyun proposed kindly. “You smell horrible.”

Jennie would’ve taken offense, but she could really kill for a shower and relax her mind. Joo Hyun looked really normal. It was strange to Jennie that Joo Hyun was normal amongst these weirdos. After the shower, Jennie felt refreshed and smelled like strawberries. Joo Hyun was already waiting outside the bathroom door with two dresses in each hand and one pinned under her chin. Jennie picked the plain black bodycon dress as opposed to the other two dresses that looked similar to Seung Wan’s.

“And… voila!” Joo Hyun exclaimed and moved over to show Jennie the vanity mirror.

“Wow.” Jennie said under her breath, turning her face to admire the work. “You’re a really good makeup artist.”

Joo Hyun beamed. “Thank you.” She said shyly.

She looked at the watch strapped on her wrist. Jennie noticed it was similar to Ji Soo’s watch, with the only difference being different carvings around the silver brim.

“Let’s go.” Joo Hyun beckoned. “The Circus will begin soon. I need to finish up some touches for others.”

“Where’s Seung Wan?” Jennie asked.

“She’s one of the performers.” Joo Hyun explained. “She should be backstage by now.”

The morning turned to evening. Jennie let Joo Hyun lead her through the tents until they reached a huge tent. By huge, it was at least ten tents bigger than the others, along with a metal vane of a crow on top of the peak. It unsettled her. The metal beady eyes seem to bore into her soul. It looked alive.

Joo Hyun ushered her through the back. Nothing could surprise Jennie at this point anymore, but her eyes still goggled. The performers were dressed odd as ever. They varied with different equipment for different performances. One was on stilts, another was tied to another in a strange position, and so on.

“This is so weird.” Jennie muttered to herself in disbelief of the situation she was in.

Joo Hyun looked at her puzzled. “You’ve never been to the Circus?”

Jennie shook her head.

“I guess you _would_ find it strange.” A hint of pity formed in her eyes, but she walked away as quickly as it formed.

Jennie had no choice but to follow her. One, because she was the only person she knew. Two, she was normal, or at least looked normal.

A finger tapped her shoulder and she spun around to find Seung Wan dressed in her costume. She was wearing a skin tight gray suit. Jennie presumed she would be doing a flexible performance.

“You look all dolled up.” Seung Wan commented, looking at Jennie from head to toe.

Jennie gave a shy smile. “Thanks to Joo Hyun.”

The lights on the other side of the tall red curtains dimmed. “Ladies and gentlemen!” A voice boomed from the intercoms.

Seung Wan smiled. “It’s time. I hope you enjoy my performance.”

Jennie was left standing as the performers lined up. She felt a tap and found Joo Hyun.

“Our seats are at the front.” She said. “Let’s go.”

The seats had cushions like a movie theater. Odd, since normal circuses usually had metal bleachers, but Jennie wasn’t complaining. They were comfortable.

“Seung Wan’s performance is last, according to the pamphlet.” Joo Hyun chatted. “I heard it’ll be a real shocker.”

The performances weirded Jennie out, but she was fascinated and engaged at the same time. It seemed like it was impossible. One had the man squeeze inside a lion’s throat and stomach and came out fine. Another had two people cut in half and switch torsos.

Then came Seung Wan’s performance.

The lights shined above, aimed at Seung Wan balanced on a tether rope. She slowly started moving to a platform connected on the other side. Someone came from behind her, an abnormally giant man in a crimson red suit, snow white gloves, sleek black leather shoes, a black top hat, black hair styled as a middle split, and to top it off, a curly mustache.

He followed Seung Wan across the rope. Jennie was surprised that the rope didn’t snap under his size. Seung Wan stood still at the platform and the giant man caught up to her.

“That’s the Ringmaster.” Joo Hyun whispered.

The Ringmaster took out a thick rope from his pocket and wrapped it around Seung Wan’s thin neck. He proceeded to tie it into a knot.

“What is he doing?” Jennie asked, alarmed and straightened from her relaxed position.

“Shh.” Joo Hyun hushed.

The Ringmaster tied the other end of the rope on one of the beams on the ceiling and then pushed Seung Wan off the platform. She flailed, clawing at her neck trying to breathe. Then, she was limp.

Jennie gasped in horror, and so did the audience.

“Well that’s new.” Joo Hyun said with mild interest.

“What?” Jennie shrieked. “He just killed-”

Then, Seung Wan untied the rope and dropped down. The whole way down. She laid in a heap of broken bones, twisted limbs, and blood. The audience, once again, gasped. Jennie was appalled.

Then, Seung Wan stood up, broken bones and all, and bowed. The audience gave a loud round of applause.

That was the end of the performance.

“What was that?” Jennie quavered, full of nausea from what she watched.

Joo Hyun shrugged absent mindlessly. “I guess they were trying a new concept. I think it worked.”

“No!” Jennie cried out and grabbed Joo Hyun’s shoulders and shook her. “No one could’ve survived that! No human can do that!”

“Human?” Joo Hyun faltered, tilting her head in confusion like a puppy.

“Yes! No human can live after that!” Jennie said, basically screaming now. “She died twice!”

Then, Joo Hyun laughed.

Jennie froze, not expecting this kind of reaction. She looked at Joo Hyun with wide eyes, who was bent over, wheezing and crying from laughter.

“You must be joking.” Joo Hyun chortled, wiping tears from her eyes.

“I’m not.” Jennie deadpanned.

Joo Hyun’s smile faltered. “I really think that you’re new here.” She said.

“Everyone here at the Circus is dead.”

> ~

Jennie made a break for it.

It was hard with her dress, but at least she kept her sneakers. She convinced Joo Hyun to not lend her high heels.

Oh right, Joo Hyun.

“Jennie!” Joo Hyun called out, running to catch up. She was wearing heels, but she was fast in them.

_How did she know Jennie’s name?_ She didn’t recall telling her or Seung Wan her name.

The people Jennie passed looked at her blankly with dead eyes. All the dead people. Everyone here was dead.

She felt like breaking down. Her world was turning upside down. What did she do to deserve this? It felt so surreal. She wiped tears away from her eyes that made her vision blurry.

She crashed into something, or someone, and fell on her butt. Her eyes trailed up. The black leather shoes, the crimson red suit.

The Ringmaster.

“Why are you running?” The Ringmaster asked, his voice smooth and powerful. His unusual crimson eyes trained on Jennie. She froze. She heard Joo Hyun’s feet hit the gravel behind her.

“There you are!” Joo Hyun exclaimed, panting. “My apologies, Ringmaster.”

“Nothing to forgive, Bae Joo Hyun.” The Ringmaster lended Jennie his hand. His hand was huge, the size of Jennie’s face. She hesitantly took it and stood up, wiping the rocks and dirt off her dress.

“I don’t think I’ve seen you before.” The Ringmaster noted, his eyes twinkling with curiosity.

Joo Hyun reached for Jennie’s shoulder and gave a quick smile. “It’s her first time.”

The Ringmaster nodded in understanding. “It’s great to have more people here. Are you applying?”

“No, she’s visiting.” Joo Hyun added hurriedly.

The Ringmaster’s expression stiffened, his mouth forming a straight line. “Visiting, you said?”

“I don’t think people can visit the place of the Dead.”

All eyes turned to Jennie. Joo Hyun’s hand was ice cold on her shoulder. That reminded Jennie that Joo Hyun was also dead.

“It was a mistake.” Jennie tried to reason quickly. “I didn’t come here on purpose.”

The Ringmaster just stared with his unsettling crimson eyes.

“I’ll leave. I’m leaving right now, as a matter of fact.” Jennie chuckled nervously, backing away from him.

“You are a real mystery.” The Ringmaster said. “Therefore, we can’t let you go.”

“What? Why?”

The people around started moving toward Jennie. She screamed in terror when cold hands seized her.

“Let’s not scare her!” Joo Hyun insisted. “Maybe she will like it here.”

The Ringmaster looked down at her. “I don’t think you noticed. She has the mark.”

“I didn’t do anything wrong!” Jennie cried out.

Joo Hyun saw, branded on Jennie’s left wrist, was the Mark of the Wolf.

> ~

“Jennie?”

“Go away.”

“I’m not here to hurt you.”

“I said go away.”

Joo Hyun clicked her tongue impatiently from the other girl’s stubbornness.

“I’m coming in.”

Joo Hyun found Jennie hidden under a giant heap of blankets. The room that the Ringmaster decided to house her in was bland with white bricked walls and a small barred window at the top of the wall. There was a bookshelf of old books in the corner. It looked similar to a jail cell.

“You’re going to suffocate in there.” Joo Hyun exasperated.

“I don’t care.” Jennie retorted, her voice muffled. “Maybe I can be one of you guys, not like I want to.”

“Hey.” Joo Hyun said disapprovingly, offence evident.

Jennie popped her head out from under the blankets. Her black hair was dishevelled from the blankets, her eyes puffy from crying. Joo Hyun

cautiously walked to the edge of the bed to seem not like a threat. Jennie watched her carefully, her cat-like eyes narrowed.

“Why are you here?” Jennie poked with disdain.

When Joo Hyun safely sat on the edge of the bed, she turned to Jennie. “I wanted to check up on you.”

“I wasn’t aware that dead people had consideration.” Jennie remarked.

Joo Hyun frowned. “I’m just trying to help, Jennie.”

They sat in silence for a while.

“How did you know my name?” Jennie asked.

Joo Hyun blinked with unsure eyes. Her lips pursed. “You looked like a Jennie.”

Jennie scoffed at the answer. “You could’ve called me Emily for all I know.”

Joo Hyun stayed silent.

“Well…. how did you come here?” She asked with hesitation.

Joo Hyun dropped her head and took a deep shaky breath, fiddling with her fingers. “It was a couple of years ago. I don’t know actually. Time flies when you’re dead.”

Jennie looked at her apologetically.

“My boyfriend, well ex boyfriend I suppose. He was drunk. He-” She shuddered.

She jumped in surprised when she felt a comforting hand pressed on her shoulder. Jennie moved up next to her on the edge of the bed.

“I don’t like remembering, but I think he had beat me so much, it was to the point I couldn’t wake up.” Joo Hyun lamented. “I never did wake up. Then, I found myself here. It was strange at first, accepting that I was dead, but then I got used to it. I found a place here.”

Joo Hyun pressed her palm against Jennie’s hand. “You didn’t come here on purpose, so I’ll try really hard to convince the Ringmaster to let you go.”

Jennie shook her head. “It might endanger your position. I don’t want you to risk yourself for me. Maybe you can help me find a person, though.”

Joo Hyun perked up and nodded enthusiastically. “Tell me who.”

“Kim Ji Soo.”

“Kim Ji Soo? Just that?”

Jennie frowned, finding it odd that Ji Soo had no other form of identification. “That’s all she told me. She has red hair and her eyes have gold and blue in them. She’s very beautiful. She told me she was going to find me. I think it’s a good time to do so.”

Joo Hyun pursed her lips. “I don’t know what I can do with that.”

Jennie slumped, defeated, and Joo Hyun patted her head assuringly. She glanced at the Mark of the Wolf on her wrist.

“You’ve met with a cursed fate.” She muttered.

Jennie jolted and almost fell off the bed. Joo Hyun, alarmed, jolted as well.

“Where did you hear that?” Jennie demanded.

“It- it just came from my head.” Joo Hyun stammered, her brows furrowed in confusion.

“Why did you say it?”

“I mean, you have had some really bad luck.”

Jennie’s eyes narrowed dubiously. “I think you should leave.”

Confused and hurt, Joo Hyun shuffled to the door. She looked over her shoulder and saw that Jennie returned to the comfort of the blankets. _What impact did those words have on her?_

> ~

Jennie hid underneath the blankets until she heard Joo Hyun leave the room. She was still uncomfortable, knowing Joo Hyun was dead, but sympathized for the poor girl.

Jennie popped out of the blankets and scanned the room, her eyes resting on the bookshelf. It looked old and antique with big leather covered books lined up. Jennie trailed her fingers along the old leather that was caked with dust. The smell made Jennie crinkle her nose. It was like an old man.

Her finger stopped at one book titled The Tale of the Stranger and the Wolf. When Jennie opened the book, it was blank. She briefly flicked over the pages, all of them empty. There was only old yellow parchment. _What is this?_ Jennie thought and put back the book. _Maybe the books were just for decoration, to make the room less bland than it already was._

The room grew dimmer and dimmer as Jennie laid on the mattress, her fingers subconsciously tracing the mark on her wrist. It was an image, etched in dark ink, of a wolf’s glowering eyes and wings protruding from each side. _How did it get there?_ All these questions posed, but no one gave her clear answers. Only Ji Soo. She had to find her.

The moonlight streamed through the window and created a shadow on the floor. Jennie eyed the window. _Could I get out through that window?_ She observed the size. _No, it’s too small and too high._ Jennie sighed and made her way back to the mattress to sulk. She suddenly tripped and fell flat on her face.

Jennie groaned in pain from the impact on the stone floor. She looked back, but found nothing that would’ve caused her to trip.

Except the shadow.

Jennie speculated, from all the bizarre events that happened, that she could suspect anything. She knelt down and fingered the shadow of the barred

window. Her finger disappeared through the floor. It felt like a pool, except it didn’t wet her finger. It was damp and cool.

She put her whole hand in, which disappeared. She proceeded to pull it in and out, making sure it won’t bite her hand off. Finally, she inserted her foot.

 _Here goes nothing._ Jennie thought to herself before jumping into the shadow.

> ~

A train whistle blew in the distance.

Jennie blinked a few times from the sudden change of lighting before registering where she was. It was a train station. Across from the railway platform was a forest full of towering dark green pine trees that looked like it went for miles. In fact, the whole surrounding area was forest.

She sat on a chair on the platform. She still wore the bodycon dress and she hugged her arms from the cool breeze. She leaned forward to see a train coming in from the right. She caught a glimpse of the golden name that glistened on the train: The Midnight Train.

It stopped in front of her, the smoke from the engines blew onto her. She coughed and waved the smoke away.

A young man peeked his head out from the passenger cart. He was wearing a purple coat matched with a purple newsboy hat on his fluffy orange hair. In fact, his whole outfit was purple.

“Welcome to The Midnight Train.” He bubbled. “May I take your ticket?”

Jennie looked down at her hand and saw she was holding a small purple ticket. She handed it over to him.

“Ah, I see.” He hummed, examining the ticket. “You’re heading to The West Port?”

Jennie had no idea what that was, but she nodded. The man bowed and stepped aside.

“Welcome aboard, Jennie Kim.”

“How’d you-” Jennie asked but the man was already walking away. _How does everyone know her name? Maybe it was on the ticket._ She shrugged it off and walked down the aisle that had blue cushions lining the walls of the train. The only person on the train was a blonde woman with braided hair and a familiar white sundress. She was absorbed in a book.

“Hello?” Jennie called out.

The woman looked up and grinned. “Wow! Finally a person showed up. It was getting lonely.”

Jennie sat down next to the woman. She wouldn’t have done so with a stranger, but she felt that she could trust her, like they shared a strong bond. She glanced at the book in her hand, _The Tale of the Stranger and the Wolf._ “Why don’t you talk to the conductor?” Jennie suggested.

The woman considered it. “He’s just here to do his job. Not a friend.” She held her hand out. “I’m Park Chae Young.” Jennie shook it.

“Jennie.” She said curtly. The woman stiffened for a split second. She pointed at the book in Chae Young’s hands. “Can I see that?”

Chae Young nodded and handed it over. Jennie flipped through the pages and was shocked. There were words and pictures printed on here, not like the book at the Circus. The Circus…

“What’s wrong?” Chae Young asked in a concerned tone.

Jennie snapped out of her trance and shook her head. “Nothing.” She flipped through the pages and stopped at a particular passage.

“Ah, the Nightingale.” Chae Young breathed. “I have never read a scarier lore than hers.”

Jennie tried focusing on the words, but they weren’t English.

“It’s Enochian.” Chae Young explained. “I’m sure you wouldn’t know how to read it. It’s a hard language to understand.”

Jennie’s eyes trailed down to the picture of the Nightingale. She looked familiar, with those big eyes, the small face, the heart shaped lips.

“That’s Ji Soo.” Jennie muttered.

“Excuse me?” Chae Young perked up.

“Ji Soo.” Jennie jabbed her finger at the image.

“I think you’re mistaking her.” Chae Young pulled the book away from Jennie’s hands abruptly. “That’s the Nightingale.”

Jennie was sure that it was Ji Soo. “What is her lore?” She asked.

Chae Young pondered for a moment. “She was an infamous assassin, killing off people in all sorts of nasty ways. She even betrayed the family she served, the Imperial family.” She glanced around cautiously and dipped down next to Jennie’s ear, like children telling each other secrets.

“I’ve heard that her act of betrayal was having a secret love affair with the daughter. Her brother, the Wolf, helped hide their relationship.”

“What?”

“You know the Wolf, right? Both of them served under the family. They had to run away from the Imperial King’s wrath once he found out. But the Imperial King found them, in some kind of meadow one hundred universes away. They were playing and the Imperial King sent his beloved crows after them.”

A vision flashed through Jennie’s mind, a vision where she was attacked by the horde of crows. Didn’t Ji Soo say something about her visions? That they were history repeating?

“The Wolf sacrificed himself for his sister to escape. The Imperial King locked him up in chains and sent him down in the depths of the Underworld. When I say deep, I mean _deep_.”

Chae Young pulled away from Jennie and sat up, still observing Jennie closely, as if to watch her reaction. “What happened to Ji- the Nightingale?” Jennie asked, quickly correcting herself.

The woman shrugged. “Maybe she died? I don’t know. The lore stops there.”

The air got cold, so Jennie thought to change the subject. “Where are you headed?” She asked.

“I go wherever the wind takes me.” Chae Young chirped. “As for you…”

“As for me?”

“Fate mapped your destination pretty well. Here.” Chae Young pulled out a card from her pocket and handed it to Jennie. The material was like gold metal, but it was as light as a feather. It resembled a Queen of Hearts poker card, only that the illustration was a portrait of a queen sitting on a throne.

“This isn’t like mundane cards.” Chae Young clarified. “It’s used to access the Celestial Library. If he doesn’t buy it, just mention me.”

“Who’s he? And why would I need to get inside a library?”

“ _He_ is the owner. I guess he goes by the name of _The Librarian_.” Chae Young shrugged. “And maybe you want to search up more lore. I don’t know.”

The train whistled and was slowly chugging to a stop.

“I think that’s your stop.”

Jennie looked out the windows, but only saw white fog.

“I wish you luck and good fortune, Jennie.” Chae Young wished with a bright smile.

Jennie was pulled through the door and into the white abyss.


	3. Sinner

__

_Slight TW: Sexual Assault_

It was nighttime. The stone cracked harbor that was filled with cargos, crates, and bustling workers was occupied by a damp and humid air. Big burly men were moving crates down the huge cargo ships that lined the dock. A crow’s caw echoed through the night.

Jennie shivered and rubbed her arms, still in her tight bodycon dress. She started moving, dodging and weaving through men carrying boxes and other tools. There was a small building, probably a place for the workers to rest and drink beers.

The warm air hit her face and she sighed in relief from the warmth when she stepped inside the building. Soft jazz music tickled her ears. There were men lounging on chairs and couches.

“Hello.” The bartender greeted. He looked familiar, with his crimson eyes and curly mustache.

“Do you know the nearest city from here?” Jennie asked.

He pondered. “The nearest city is very far away. If you walk on foot, it’ll take a day. I recommend using a carriage.”

“A carriage?” What era was this?

The bartender nodded before returning to wiping his glasses with a rag. Jennie sighed and took a booth in the corner. She was exhausted. The only sleep she had was at the Circus. Her hand reached inside her pocket and pulled out the Queen of Hearts card and looked at it closer.

Maybe someone here knows something about the Celestial Library. Jennie thought, but then shook the thought off. At second thought, it might just be in another universe.

All her hope was on Ji Soo now. Ji Soo was the key to whatever mess she was in. She can explain everything, but she’s also the Nightingale. Is she trustworthy? Who was the daughter that she ran off with?

In her deep thought, Jennie didn’t notice someone take the cushion across from her.

“Hey.” The man said with a gruff voice. The man looked exhausted himself. He must’ve overworked. Even his mustache was depressing. It was droopy.

“Hi.” Jennie replied tersely, uncomfortable with talking to an unknown man. Especially a man that looked like he could snap Jennie in half.

“Do you want a drink with me?” He offered.

Jennie shook her head. “I don’t drink.”

He shrugged. “Alright.”

After the man ordered himself a drink, Jennie decided that it was a good time to get some answers.

“This is The West Port, right?” Jennie asked.

The man hummed. “Mhm. The name’s Min Hyuk, by the way.”

Jennie didn’t want to say her name. There’s really no reason to. “So… what’s the name of the nearest city?”

“Gale.”

“Do you have a carriage I can borrow?”

Min Hyuk frowned. “You didn’t come here by a carriage?”

“Long story.” Jennie said as if that would clear up the confusion.

“How’d you get here? And why?” Min Hyuk narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

“I said it’s a long story.” Jennie said through gritted teeth from her impatience. “Can you help me out?”

“What’s in it for me?”

Jennie slumped in defeat. She had nothing on her, except a card. No currency, no valuables, nothing.

Min Hyuk sighed, giving in. “Fine. I might know a guy that has a carriage.”

He led Jennie to the entrance of the harbor. All these men looked similar. They were all burly, huge, and had mustaches. Min Hyuk’s friend, Seung Yoon, pulled up with a carriage that had two brown horses. Jennie climbed into the carriage.

“Gale, right?” Seung Yoon asked over his shoulder from in front.

Jennie nodded. “Sorry for the trouble.”

Seung Yoon shrugged. “It’s fine. It’s important to help ladies in need.”

The carriage cushion was comfy and soft. Despite the rocky road and the clacks of hooves tapping the stone, rocky ground, Jennie found it relaxing and fell asleep.

~

“Here we are.”

Jennie was woken to a city of lights. Numerous skyscrapers towered over Seung Yoon’s tiny carriage. There was a blimp circling the city. At the center was what seemed to be a clock tower that rose above all skyscrapers. This city could’ve been spotted from thousands of miles away.

“I personally have never been here.” Seung Yoon admitted. “But from what I know, you need to enter through there.”

Jennie looked at where he was pointing and saw a solid metal wall that bordered the city. There were gates and entrances armed with guards cladded with black bulletproof vests with their police uniforms.

“I don’t think I can go through from there.” Jennie gulped.

“I just brought you here.” Seung Yoon said wearily. ”This is beyond my power.”

Jennie thanked Seung Yoon before hopping off the carriage. With no money and no identity, this was going to be tricky. She could feel the eyes of the guards tracking her as she strode toward the gates.

“ID?” The guard slurred in a drowsy voice.

“I don’t have one.” Jennie admitted.

He waved his hand lazily. “Then no entrance.”

“Please,” Jennie pressed, “I don’t have anywhere to go.”

“What part of no do you not understand?” The guard’s voice rose. “No ID, no entrance.”

Jennie fished out the Queen of Hearts card and showed it to him. His face suddenly paled and his hand shook.

“My apologies, your Highness.” His voice shook and he stepped aside to open the gate.

Jennie didn’t show her confusion and walked through the gate confidently. She exhaled when she stepped into the city. She didn’t realize she was holding her breath, the card held tightly in her hand.

Jennie was exhausted. She mindlessly wandered through the bright and empty streets of Gale. The buildings were built with glass and brass, like a steampunk city, and the streets had smooth asphalt. A crow cawed at the distance that echoed down the streets. She spotted an open bar and headed toward it.

The place reeked of whiskey, but Jennie couldn’t care less. She grabbed a bar stool and sat, resting her chin on her hand.

“Sheriff Bae Joo Hyun has captured yet another crime lord…”

Jennie’s head whipped to the television that hung from the corner of the bar from the mention of the name. It showcased a news reporter and a picture of a woman with ashy brown hair, dressed in a blue steampunk dress that was matched with a blue steampunk hat with gold monocles hanging from it. Resting against her shoulder was a huge steampunk sniper rifle.

“Joo Hyun…” Jennie mumbled.

She felt a presence beside her and found a man that sat on the bar stool adjacent to hers. He had a clean shaven beard and his hair swept to the side. With his strong jaw line, he could be a model.

“That's Gale’s sheriff and princess.” The man said wistfully. “She’s really hot.”

The man gestured to the bartender to fetch him a whiskey. “So what brings a beautiful lady like you here?” He cooed, attention swerved to Jennie.

“That’s none of your concern.” Jennie brushed off abruptly. His vibe was not like Min Hyuk’s vibe. She sensed bad intentions.

The man sighed. “Let’s start over. My name is Seung Hyun.” His drink arrived and he drank a big gulp of it. Jennie wrinkled her nose from the smell of whiskey.

“I’m not interested.” Jennie said bluntly.

Seung Hyun glared, his face turning sour. “I’m trying to be polite, woman.”

Jennie looked away from his intense glare and pushed herself off the stool. That bar was not safe. While wandering the streets to get away from the bar, her mind trailed to Joo Hyun. _Was it the same Joo Hyun from The Circus? They looked alike. Maybe it’s Joo Hyun in another universe. She wouldn’t remember her, would she?_

Her trail of thought stopped when she heard footsteps coming from behind her. Right as she turned around, her arm was roughly grabbed and pulled to an alleyway. She was slammed into the concrete wall by a brute force. Through her dizziness, she focused on the perpetrator. It was Seung Hyun.

“It wouldn’t have turned out this way if you were nice.” He growled, his breath reeked of alcohol.

“Stop.” Jennie demanded, but it turned into a squeak. Her hands were pinned above her head by Seung Hyun’s large hands. The only thing Jennie could think of doing was start shouting. “Help!” She screamed.

Her lips were clamped shut by Seung Hyun’s rough lips. Jennie panicked and thrashed around, trying to escape him. _This is not happening. Please, for the love of God._

“Hey!” A voice shouted from the end of the alleyway.

Jennie’s hands were released and she collapsed on the asphalt pavement. She was frozen from sheer fright and exhaustion.

“You’re such a cock block, Chan Yeol!” Seung Hyun cursed.

“Pick someone your own size!” Chan Yeol taunted.

“Be a man and let’s settle this. One versus one.”

Before Jennie could hear fists colliding, the clicking of boots filled the air instead.

Seung Hyun snarled. “If you weren’t hiding behind your sister’s skirt, I would’ve pulverized you into a pulp.”

A pair of hands helped Jennie up into a sitting position against the wall. Her eyes tried to look, but she had no energy to keep them open.

“Fist fighting again, Chan Yeol?” A familiar feminine voice asked.

“Just another criminal.”

Jennie felt herself slip away into darkness.

~

In the middle of pitch black, a dim light shone on a crouched figure. He was kneeling with his wings, tattered and ripped, folded against his back. His bare chest was full of muscle and he had trousers on.

“It’s been a while.” He said in a low, heavy voice.

A woman stepped into the light. She wore a dress as black as midnight. Her gold blue eyes scanned the man from head to toe.

“You don’t look so well.” She commented, worry laced in her voice.

He snickered. “Considering that I’ve been rotting down here for eons, I don’t think I would look well, Ji Soo.”

Ji Soo’s face softened. “Seok Jin-”

“What do you want?” Seok Jin retorted.

“You need to free Jennie Kim.” Ji Soo implored. “She’s done nothing wrong.”

Seok Jin growled. “Nothing wrong? I’m down here because of her. You’re on the run because of her.”

“Please. I care about you and I-”

“You care about me?” He bitterly chuckled. “Then why haven’t you saved me yet? Why haven’t you brought her head to the Imperial King? Why won’t you let me take revenge for all the tragedy she brought upon us? We finally found her. I’m doing this for us.”

Ji Soo’s expression hardened. “Seok Jin…”

Seok Jin shook his head. “I don’t want to hear it. Jennie Kim and I are bound now. I’ve marked her. Only Fate can determine the outcome.” He turned to her. “If you’re trying to save her, why don’t you help her? All you’ve done is run away, from one universe to the next. Like you always do.”

Hurt was plastered on her face. “I’m trying really hard, Seok Jin. Why can’t you trust me?”

“It’s not that I can’t trust you. It’s because you give me no reason to trust you at all.”

Ji Soo huffed. “I’ll go now.”

Before she left under the light, she turned back and looked at Seok Jin. Their eyes locked.

“You’ve met with a cursed fate.” Ji Soo said slyly and left, leaving Seok Jin to his eternal torment.

~

Jennie bolted upright in cold sweat. The white sheets on her fell, revealing her in fresh pajamas.

“You’re finally awake!” A voice cheered.

Jennie looked over at the boy sitting in the chair next to her bed. He had raven, tousled black hair and big ears.

“Water.” Jennie croaked.

The boy reached over to the bedside table and handed her a glass of water. She tilted her head and gulped it down hungrily. Satisfied, she smacked her lips and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

“I’m Park Chan Yeol.” He grinned. His grin was lopsided.

“Where am I?” Jennie asked.

“At our apartment.”

Our?

As if on queue, the door opened and a woman came in wearing a t-shirt and pants. In her hand was a cup of coffee. “I need to file a report for the crime lord, Lay.” She spoke into the phone pressed between her ear and shoulder. She paused when she saw Jennie.

“Joo Hyun…” Jennie said.

“Oh, you know my sister already?” Chan Yeol chimed. “Well, she’s quite famous. I wouldn’t be surprised that every single person knows her.”

Joo Hyun’s gaze hadn’t broken from hers. “Chan Yeol, could you file that report?” She requested without breaking eye contact.

Chan Yeol pouted. “I don’t want to.”

“Chan Yeol.” She warned sternly.

He stiffened and bowed before shuffling out the room. Once he left, Joo Hyun placed the coffee cup on the bedside table before sitting on the chair that Chan Yeol occupied before.

“Who are you?” Joo Hyun questioned. “I feel like I have seen you, but you’re a new face in Gale.”

“You won’t believe me…” Jennie muttered.

“You’re right.” She crossed her arms. “I probably won’t, but spill.”

Jennie explained to Joo Hyun everything about what occurred at the Circus and the other universes she went through. To her surprise, Joo Hyun's face remained stoic throughout her recount.

After a pregnant silence, Joo Hyun said tartly, “That’s ridiculous.”

“I know,” Jennie acknowledged, “but I’m telling the truth.”

Joo Hyun’s steel eyes studied Jennie’s face intently. She shrunk under the gaze. “Well, you can’t stay here. Come with me to the Gale Police Station.”

~

Gale was more lively in the day time than it was at night. Business men and women bustled through the streets and futuristic, sleek cars drove down the streets. Jennie pressed her face against Joo Hyun’s car window and watched in awe. Joo Hyun offered Jennie her clothes that consisted of a white blouse and high waisted jeans. She gave Jennie the Queen of Hearts card, which was the only possession on her when she found her in the alleyway.

They rolled up to the front of the Gale Police Station, a giant dome with a glass ceiling and marble architecture. Joo Hyun parked and they made their way to the front.

Everyone paused to bow when Joo Hyun passed and then resumed with their work. A tall man with black swept hair with bangs stepped up.

“Sheriff Bae.” The man greeted. “I was wondering when you will turn in the report.”

“I told Chan Yeol to do that.” Joo Hyun answered.

“And there are other… concerns.” He eyed Jennie uneasily.

“Lay, she’s a friend. She won’t do anything.” Joo Hyun said with authority.

Jennie quietly trailed behind them as they took a walk through the white hallways. She felt like she was intruding, but she had nowhere to go.

“...two murders at The West Port.” Lay rambled. “Horrific sight when the team got there.”

“Any leads?” Joo Hyun queried, eyes straight ahead.

“It was like a wild animal that tore the guts and ripped off the limbs, leaving them in a bloody heap.” He gulped before saying, “It even ate the organs.”

Joo Hyun subtly shook. She tried to contain it, but Jennie observed her from behind. “Send our men over there. Make sure there are no more deaths at The West Port.”

The description that Lay explained reminded Jennie of Lisa and the stranger who died a similar death. _Was the thing that left the pieces in her room following Jennie? Were the two deaths at The West Port Min Hyuk and Seung Yoon?_

While Joo Hyun and Lay were in a deep conversation, Jennie caught a movement from the corner of her eye. It was subtle and swift and turned the corner. Jennie glanced at Joo Hyun and Lay before following the unknown figure. It dashed another corner and Jennie had to run to catch up.

A door at the end of the white hallway was opened by a crack. Jennie rested her hand on the wall to catch her breath. The area made her feel uneasy, the same feeling she had when she opened that bedroom door.

With fear and dread rising from her stomach, she hesitantly inched closer to the door and gently pushed it with her fingers. She pushed it until it was wide open and let out a silent scream.

On the wall, with crimson blood, painted the words, _You’ve met with a cursed fate_. Below, pinned to the wall by a wooden stake through the chest, was Park Chan Yeol.

~

Lay’s fists slammed angrily on the wooden table. “You’re the number one suspect.” He inculpated. “Tell me anything, anything at all.”

Jennie refused to make eye contact and looked down at her shaking hands that gripped the table so tight her knuckles turned white. Lay slammed his hands down on the table in frustration in front of her, making her jump. He towered over her and glared into her eyes.

“Joo Hyun will go to the ends of this world to avenge her little brother.” Lay hissed. “You were the one that found him. Tell me anything!”

Jennie fumed from his sudden outburst and being accused. “I don’t know anything!” She retaliated. “That was all I saw!”

Lay looked like he was about to lunge at her when the door opened, followed by the familiar click of boots. Joo Hyun, emotionally drained, was standing at the doorway. Her eyes were puffy and her face was abnormally pale.

“Lay…” Joo Hyun said wearily. “Don’t scare her.”

Lay clenched his jaw. “I’m just trying to get things out of her. She won’t budge.”

“Leave us.” Joo Hyun requested, but it was more like an order.

Lay glared at Jennie and headed out, not before he whispered something into Joo Hyun’s ear. She shook her head and shooed him away.

“Walk with me.” Joo Hyun beckoned Jennie.

~

The city of Gale was dim and gloomy, like the whole city was mourning the Sheriff’s little brother. Joo Hyun didn’t walk to the car. She started down the street, with Jennie right beside her.

“It’s nice to take a walk.” Joo Hyun sighed, breathing in the air. “It relieves stress.”

They silently strolled and Jennie realized they were heading toward the clock tower. The lobby was small and the counter was empty. They walked to the brass elevator doors that had a round gear carved on it.

Amidst the unnerving silence was the soft jingle of elevator music and machines whirring that worked the elevator. Jennie felt uneasy with the huge sniper rifle strapped on Joo Hyun’s back. It was half the size of her. She wondered how she could carry such a huge weapon.

The elevator dinged and the brass doors slid open, revealing a balcony with no railing that overlooked Gale. The cold wind stung Jennie’s face, but she followed Joo Hyun to the edge, where she sat down and dangled her legs over the edge. She set her rifle down beside her.

“This is my favorite spot.” Joo Hyun reminisced, admiring the city. “Chan Yeol and I came here often when we were kids.”

Jennie silently listened to her, not daring to look down from such a height.

“He was my world. After our parents passed away, we only had each other.” Her voice shook. “I should’ve been there to protect him. I-”

She choked and broke down into sobs. Jennie awkwardly patted her shoulder and stared at the distance. Something caught her eye in the midst of a silent, mourning city. Clouds of black smoke emitted from the Gale Police Station.

“Joo Hyun…” Jennie warned.

Joo Hyun looked up and gasped at the sight. She quickly picked up her rifle and bolted to the elevator. “What are you doing?” Joo Hyun said. “Hurry!”

~

Oddly, while they blasted down the street toward the station, there were no people, no chaos except the burning police station. Jennie felt like something was off about the whole ordeal.

Joo Hyun slammed through the entrance door and frantically searched around. There were dead and injured police officers littered on the floor of the main entrance. Joo Hyun found who she was looking for and quickly ran to his aid.

“Lay!” She cried and kneeled down.

Lay’s eyes were half closed and he groaned in pain. There was an enormous blood stain on his uniform and his head had a nasty gash.

“Joo Hyun…” Lay slurred. “It’s not safe here. Run while you can.”

“Lay?” Joo Hyun pleaded when Lay had shut his eyes, breathing no more.

Jennie barely had time to react when a figure shot forward and threw Joo Hyun into a wall. She crumbled to the floor. The figure was the same one Jennie followed to Chan Yeol. Now with a full image, it was hideous. It had gnarled, long fingers and ebony sharp claws the size of Jennie’s forearms. The arms and legs were equally as long, making the furry creature hunch. It was missing an ear, and the tail was spiky and thick. Moreso, it resembled a mutated wolf.

“Hey!” Jennie shouted to divert the monster’s attention away from Joo Hyun.

The monster whipped to her voice and Jennie’s blood ran cold. It had no face. It howled a horrific shriek into the air and bolted toward Jennie at high speeds. Jennie yelped and rolled to the side, barely dodging the force, but an outstretched claw scratched her arm.

Before she could recover, the monster grabbed her arm, its claws digging into her skin, and threw her into a crumbled wall. Jennie moaned and spat out blood. Through her blurry vision, she saw the monster advance toward Joo Hyun who was still laid dazed.

“Joo Hyun!” Jennie called out with all her strength.

Joo Hyun looked up and tried to scramble away, but the monster wrapped its long fingers around her throat. Jennie couldn’t let another friend die for her, or leave them behind again. Jennie grimaced and pulled herself up with the wall.

“Get away from her!” Jennie screamed. Fury built up in her. And something else too. Something powerful.

The monster did not turn in time as a powerful blast of white energy emerged from Jennie, engulfing the whole city.


	4. Ice

“Sleeping again, Miss Kim?”

Jennie jolted awake and met with her classmates’ stares. Her professor had his arms crossed and frowned with his head tilted.

“I’m sorry, Professor Lee.” Jennie said meekly.

He sighed and continued on his lesson. Jennie looked around the classroom in disbelief. Was it all a dream? It felt so real.

Jennie checked her left wrist and her heart dropped to her stomach. The Mark of the Wolf was still on there. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the Queen of Hearts card. Fuck.

After class, Jennie pulled a kid over. “Where’s Lisa Manoban?” She pressed.

“Lisa who?” The kid asked.

“Lisa Manoban.” Jennie repeated impatiently. “Black hair with bangs. Nice legs. Nay high? Best dancer on campus?”

The kid frowned. “I think that’s Hirai Momo. I never heard of Lisa Marble.”

Jennie was left alone in the hallway, pondering. _Maybe she should go to her apartment_. Before she could walk, a hand was placed on her shoulder. Jennie jumped and met a familiar face.

“Joo Hyun?” Jennie croaked in surprise.

Joo Hyun flashed the same soft smile. “That’s me!”

“What are you doing here?”

Joo Hyun pouted. “You don’t want to see your best friend in the entire world?” Her brows creased with concern. “Are you sick, Jennie? You don’t look well and you’re pale.”

Jennie gulped, recalling the last moments at Gale. The creature had its claws around Joo Hyun’s neck. I just had a weird day.” Jennie lied. “I’m heading back to my apartment.”

“Come on!” Joo Hyun whined and clung onto Jennie’s arm. “Let’s get hot chocolate! We spend too much time in our apartment.”

“Our?” Jennie repeated.

“Don’t tell me that you forgot that we’re roommates.” Joo Hyun scolded.

It was as if Lisa hadn’t existed at all, and Joo Hyun took her place.

This was freaky.

~

Jennie didn’t realize it was snowing.

In fact, she didn’t realize she was bundled up in a thick sweater and jacket with a blue scarf around her neck. Wasn’t it summer when she was last here in a normal world? How much time had passed? Was this world even normal?

They tread down the street, their boots crunching the snow beneath them and leaving footprints. The coffee house was around the corner. Joo Hyun pulled Jennie’s hand to go faster.

Joo Hyun ordered for them since Jennie didn’t have her wallet on her. They took a booth in the corner next to a window.

“You still look pale, Jennie.” Joo Hyun noted.

“Just the cold.” Jennie replied, staring out the window and willing to swallow the lump in her throat. Everything felt wrong.

“Drink up.” Joo Hyun pushed Jennie’s mug closer to her.

Joo Hyun acted like Lisa, but she wasn’t Lisa. Lisa was her best friend. Joo Hyun was an illusion. Someone was playing a cruel prank on her and it wasn’t funny.

Jennie got her answer when she looked up past Joo Hyun. Ji Soo was standing at the door of the shop. She was dressed in a white baggy t-shirt, blue mom jeans, and black sneakers, clothes not fit for winter. She still had that pouch around her neck. People casted her weird looks.

“Excuse me.” Jennie said. “Something just came up.”

Joo Hyun stared after Jennie, confused.

~

“What’s happening?” Jennie demanded immediately when they were behind the coffee shop.

“What did you do?” Ji Soo probed, ignoring Jennie’s question.

“What?”

“I felt it. You have power in you.”

Jennie recalled Gale, and the energy that blasted from within her. “I don’t know how I did it.”

Jennie admitted. “I was angry and scared.”

Ji Soo swiftly grasped Jennie’s wrist firmly and turned it over to reveal the Mark of the Wolf. Jennie grimaced. The mark burned from Ji Soo’s touch.

“This is wrong.” Ji Soo said, her lips quivering.

“That hurts!” Jennie exclaimed. “No duh, this is wrong. What the fuck is going on?”

Ji Soo approached Jennie with wild eyes. Jennie backed up against the brick wall.

“Everything is wrong.” Ji Soo muttered as if talking to herself. “It had to be you. It’s always you.”

“Ji Soo.” Jennie started slowly, looking into Ji Soo’s eyes that seemed to reflect eons of heartbreak and misery. Her eyes only dimmed of gold. “You didn’t answer my question.”

“I can’t answer your question… because I have no answer.”

Jennie’s mind blanked, all hope crushed from that statement. The only person she hoped had the answer did not. The person that pushed her into everything she just went through. A growing rage made her fists clench.

“Why didn’t you come get me earlier?” Jennie seethed. “I almost died!”

Ji Soo faltered. “I couldn’t. I tried-”

“You’re the Nightingale.” The fact slipped from Jennie’s tongue without a thought.

Ji Soo flinched. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Jennie stood up straighter and jutted her chin. Ji Soo’s gaze became cloudy and the gold and blue flashed like a storm.

“You’re infamous. You’re a murderer. A traitor. The reason why Seok Jin is in chains.” Jennie provoked slyly.

Ji Soo trembled, not from the cold, but from anger. “You don’t know what I’ve been through. For you.” She snapped in a low, dangerous voice, bringing herself closer to Jennie until the tips of their noses were barely touching. “Don’t come at me like that ever again until you know the full story.”

Jennie tensed from the closeness, but didn’t back down. For a moment, it was fierce cat-like eyes against stormy round eyes mixed with many emotions. Their chests heaved from rage. The air between them thickened with tension.

Jennie finally pushed Ji Soo away. She couldn’t take it anymore. Her heart tugged, as if responding to Ji Soo’s being, but she didn’t know why. She rubbed her wrist that ached from Ji Soo’s touch. It started snowing more rapidly. Ji Soo looked at the sky.

“Stop it, Ji Soo!” Jennie yelled, bringing up her hand to shield her eyes from the incoming barrage of ice.

“It’s not me!”

The snow sped up until it was a blizzard.

“Jennie!” Ji Soo cried out.

Jennie’s head started to spin and she held on the wall for support. The snow sped up and crashed down until all she saw was white flakes.

She felt Ji Soo’s hand brush against hers, but their fingers slipped, and she was engulfed in the white blizzard.

~

Jennie was freezing.

The white storm cleared. She was in the middle of nowhere. There were huge towering pine trees lined up alongside her, creating some sort of pathway over a snow hill. A caw of a crow echoed among the silent atmosphere. Jennie lifted her fur boots and tread through the thick snow.

It seemed like miles that Jennie walked when she finally spied something in the distance after miles of trees and snow. It looked like a factory. With a new hope, Jennie walked faster. Snow started to fall, but eventually it’ll become a blizzard.

The factory was fenced with barbed wire lining on top. Jennie couldn’t find an entrance. She found a small hole below the fence, enough for her to fit through. She squeezed through and made her way to the front iron door of the factory that had a dragon print on it, baring its teeth.

It seemed empty. There was no sound emitting from it. It looked abandoned. Jennie needed shelter from the oncoming blizzard and there was no town for miles. She had no choice.

Jennie hesitantly turned the knob and pushed. The rusty door groaned and snow fell in. It revealed a corridor that had blinking and dim light bulbs hung across the ceiling. The facility gave her an unsettling vibe.

She carefully walked through the hallway. The dirty, moldy walls were bare and had peeled paint, making the environment more unsettling. Deeper down the corridor, she heard the sound of whirring machines. A spark of hope emerged that there might be someone in here that can help her.

Jennie used her ears to weave through the identical corridors. She paused in front of an iron door where she heard more sounds. It revealed a balcony overlooking a huge metal cage. She wished she did not open this door.

The cage took up the whole room. Trapped inside were copious vile and vicious creatures. They were mutations. She spotted a monster with a body of a human and a dog’s head stitched on where the human head should be. They were banging on the metal bars, howling and shrieking, and fighting each other.

The only thing that distanced Jennie from them was the iron railing and height. She swallowed nervously and backed back into the corridor.

Finally tearing her eyes away from the horror she saw, Jennie took a deep breath to calm herself down before proceeding down the hallway.

There was a closed gate blocking Jennie from going further. Two figures stood guard with crossed arms, like bouncers at a club. They weren’t as deformed as the things in the cage, but they certainly weren’t pretty. Both were bald. The right one had his whole face burned and it peeled horribly. The left one had a missing nose that probably fell victim to the nasty scar across his face. They were both wearing a type of hospital outfit.

As Jennie neared, she began to hear music. Not good music, though. It mostly consisted of banging on bars and yelling, but she could hear some tunes from a harmonica.

The two figures stared blankly at Jennie, even when she stood in front of them. When she slightly moved toward the gate, they stepped to block her way.

Alright. Seems that I can’t enter the club. Jennie bit her lip in thought. How am I getting through?

“Excuse me, she is with me.” A smooth voice said from behind her.

Jennie looked over her shoulder and looked up at a man in a grey trench coat. He had black hair styled in a middle part, and he had crimson eyes. It was no doubt him, this time, without the curly mustache. The Ringmaster…?

The two figures bobbed their heads and stepped aside, opening the gate that creaked.

“Excuse me.” Jennie called out to the man, but he swiftly walked past her without glancing and disappeared down the hallway.

Jennie hurried to catch up to him. When she rounded the corner, she was met with blaring lights that she had to cover her eyes, and a ruckus of noise.

Through her fingers, she was at the back of a huge crowd that were roaring with waving arms. From her slightly elevated level, she saw they faced a stage in an auditorium with huge grey curtains hanging from the ceiling. The words that were designed in a comical way on top of the stage read The Great G-Dragon!

On stage was a man in a black suit with his hands raised, a black wand in hand. His platinum hair was styled in a faux hawk. His monolid eyes were lined with eyeliner. It seemed that he just finished some sort of performance due to the booming applause from his audience. Beside him was a wooden wheel that had one of the deformed creatures strapped in an eagle position.

“Up next,” G-Dragon announced, his voice booming over the applause. He must be speaking into a strapped microphone, “is your favorite. The Hands of the Future!”

The audience went wild. G-Dragon beamed at the reaction, looking over, his gaze stopped at Jennie.

“Lady in the back.” He declared. “You will be helping us in this act!”

All heads turned to her. She couldn’t say eyes, because some didn’t have eyes and had empty pockets instead. The lights beamed down on her. Jennie froze with uncertainty. She tried to find the Ringmaster, but he had disappeared into the ocean of various figures.

The ocean parted into a pathway for her to the stage. Jennie couldn’t bring her legs to move.

“Don’t be shy.” G-Dragon prodded with a maniacal smile. “Come up on here!”

Slowly, her shaky legs began to move. She avoided eye contact and dipped her head to the ground that was littered with rocks, confetti, and other things on the metal floor. It felt like forever, but she reached the edge of the stage. G-Dragon held out a white gloved hand to hoist her up on the stage.

“Alright.” G-Dragon cheered. “What is your name, sweetheart?”

He comically shoved his wand at Jennie’s face like a microphone. Jennie leaned back from the abrupt action. The auditorium was so silent that she could hear her own heartbeat.

“Jennie.” She said quietly.

“Jennie!” G-Dragon repeated to his audience loudly. They cheered. “Alright, Jennie. If you could just come over here…”

Jennie was led to a wooden table and a chair that faced the audience. G-Dragon pulled up the chair for her to sit on.

“Kindly place your hands on the table. Palms up.” He instructed.

Jennie did that.

“Jennie has beautiful hands.” He commented. “Perfect for this act.” The audience cheered.

With the tip of his wand, he tapped the table and leather straps protruded from the wood and trapped Jennie’s wrists underneath. She yelped in surprise, squirming under the tight grasp.

“What are you doing?” Jennie demanded.

G-Dragon turned to his audience with crazed eyes. “Now, we will see the future that these hands hold!”

The wand morphed into a blade and he held it up for everyone to see. The blade was double sided with obsidian and steel. The audience roared with excitement. In the moment, full terror seized her mind. Her vision blurred. The noises were drowned out by her own breathing and heartbeat. Everyone was jumping and cheering for her demise, except one person who stood still with a straight face. The Ringmaster.

G-Dragon raised the blade high above his head, exaggerating the movement to put up a show. Jennie squeezed her eyes shut, turned her head away, and braced for the impact.

As the blade swept down, aiming at her wrists, the Mark of the Wolf began to glow through the eyes of the wolf. Millimeters before the tip of the sharp edges of the blade touched the mark, a wave of white energy exploded. It disintegrated the blade and threw G-Dragon off his feet to the other end of the stage.

Jennie found herself standing up and her hands free. She glanced down at her wrist, where the glowing wolf eyes seemed to look at her before dying down, leaving her skin.

The audience was silent. Not only were they silent, they were completely skill. Time stopped.

Footsteps of boots on wood echoed behind Jennie. She turned around slowly and met the Ringmaster.

“Jennie Kim.” He said. “We have a lot to talk about.”

~

The Ringmaster led Jennie to the backstage to the lounge. She paused to look at G-Dragon on the floor, his shocked face stuck in the time of the blast. She flicked the middle finger at him before walking away.

The Ringmaster took a seat around the coffee table and Jennie sat across.

“Ah, the Great G-Dragon.” He said to himself, clicking his tongue. “His magic shows have deformed all those people that were once human. Even so, they still eat up his shows. A true psychopath.”

“Who are you?” Jennie started. “I’ve seen you everywhere.”

His crimson eyes rested on Jennie’s. “My name is Gong Yoo. I am both the Ringmaster and bartender. I occupy every space in the universe.”

“How?” Her mind boggled at the concept. Was it the same for Joo Hyun?

“Because I’ve studied every space in the universe. The knowledge I hold allows me to transfer my being to different universes and dimensions, into any form I want to.”

“Studied?” She pressed.

Gong Yoo nodded firmly. “The Celestial Library holds all kinds of knowledge through every universe. It’s an endless source.”

Jennie perked up at the mention of the Celestial Library. “Do you know how to get there?” She asked hastily. She fumbled to pull out the Queen of Hearts card that was in the pocket of her cargo pants. “A woman gave me this. She said I can use it to go there.”

His eyes brightened at the sight of the card. “Oh!” He said surprised. “You have met Chae Young!”

“You know Chae Young?”

He nodded eagerly. “She is my assistant. She must be traveling on the Midnight Train to explore more of the universe for knowledge.” He beamed at the thought, like a proud dad. “She will write many amazing books.”

“You’re…” Realization dawned on Jennie’s face.

“Yes. I also go by The Librarian.” Gong Yoo confirmed her thoughts.

“So, can I go there?”

“Not quite yet.”

He waved his hand in the air and a chest formed before Jennie’s eyes. The chest was chestnut with darker, sleek wood framing the corners. Carvings similar to Ji Soo’s and Joo Hyun’s watches decorated it. In the middle, where a lock should be, was a red eyeball with black veins and pupil.

Jennie’s face twisted in disgust from it. The eyeball glanced around, its pupil bouncing from one side to the other.

“This,” Gong Yoo said with his hands spread, “is Scrubwood. He is my gatekeeper.”

He? Jennie thought in disbelief and looked at the chest again. The eyeball rested on her, making Jennie shrink away from being uncomfortable.

“The final step to the Celestial Library,” Gong Yoo explained, “is to tell Scrubwood the knowledge that you plan to gain from your visit.”

The eyeball stared at Jennie. I’m supposed to talk to this thing? Jennie cringed.

She thought. I don’t really know why. Only because Chae Young told me to. She looked at the mark on her wrist. The wolf eyes seemed to urge her for a better answer. She knew.

“I want to know about me.” Jennie concluded.

A pregnant silence ensued. Gong Yoo watched the chest, which watched Jennie. Then, it did a small hop, as if hopping with joy.

Gong Yoo clasped his hands with satisfaction. “Scrubwood liked your answer. And you won’t be needing this anymore…” He pocketed the Queen of Hearts card.

The chest clicked like it unlocked.

“Whenever you’re ready, Jennie Kim, open the box.” Gong Yoo said. “I wish you luck and good fortune.”

“One more question…” Jennie said. “Are you following me?”

Gong Yoo pondered. “You can say I’ve been observing you. I sense a great energy from you.”

“What energy?”

“Only you can tell when you enter the Celestial Library.”

With shaking hands, Jennie grasped either side of the box, the eyeball still staring at her. When she lifted the top open, it revealed a galaxy before it sucked her in.


	5. Chapter 5: Archive

Ji Soo sat under the light, face to face with Seok Jin.

The light had gotten dimmer. Seok Jin seemed more thin and weary. His face was sunken, his breath was ragged. His wings hung with dead feathers. His hair thinned. The once lively eyes were now holes of nothingness. Ji Soo was decked in black like a secret agent. Her scarlet hair was tied neatly into a low ponytail. 

“You're killing yourself.” Ji Soo cried anxiously. “You can’t keep manifesting yourself outside the Underworld. After you’ve wreaked havoc with the war and manipulated time and space. Isn’t this enough revenge?”

Seok Jin chuckled. “I have too, little sister.” He said hoarsely. “I can’t stop it.”

Color drained from her face. “The mark…”

He nodded weakly. “I said that her and I are bound now. I will take her down, even if it means I disappear too. She can only fall by my hands.”

“And your dog?’ Ji Soo brought up. 

“Lupus is a great hunter.” Seok Jin said proudly. “He will go to the ends of the universes to find his prey. He’s been hungry for a while since I was gone.”

Ji Soo crawled closer and cupped Seok Jin’s face warmly. His skin was cold to the touch.

“You’ve grown so weak.” Ji Soo murmured. “The mark… your power seeped into it. That is why Jennie can travel through universes without my help.”

Seok Jin pulled his face away and looked to the side. Ji Soo looked and saw a gray, rotting corpse, barely under the light. “Lisa…” 

“Humans can’t even survive a minute in the Underworld.” Seok Jin scoffed. 

Ji Soo’s eyes grew furious. “How could you do this.”

“Why are you painting me as the bad guy?” He snapped. “After everything we’ve been through. How can you still protect her?”

“Because…” Ji Soo’s voice wavered. “She’s my Jennie. Why do you keep blaming her? It’s not her fault.”

“It is! Her and her wretched father! How can you still love her? She is obviously not the same person. Did you see how she treated you?”

Ji Soo’s mind turned dark and heavy. She grimaced. “My sanity…” She winced. The darkness drained it quickly. “I need to go.”

Without looking back at her brother, she ran and vanished into the void. 

~

Jennie stumbled from dizziness and landed face first into the clean cut lawn. Traveling through the chest felt like sliding through a rollercoaster tube with many loops and speeds. _I’m never going to get sucked in by Scrubwood ever again_. She decided.

She stood up and brushed her clothes that changed into a white flowy dress. She stood on a circular platform that seemed to be suspended in the middle of space that was littered with distinct constellations, stars, and planets. In front of her was a colossal Victorian styled building. It seemed to glow with a stellar light. She trudged to the front dark oak double doors.

She used the big gold ring to knock. No response. She did it again. No response. Before she could do it a third time, the door creaked open and out poked the head of a woman with short black hair with light bangs.

“Chae Young~a?” The woman bubbled with a bright smile. Her smile fell when she saw that Jennie was not Chae Young. Jennie shifted uncomfortably.

“Oh, a visitor!” The woman’s mouth shifted to a smile again, but less excited. “Welcome.”

The oak door was pulled wider and Jennie could see inside. It was quite a marvelous site. The roof was so high it disappeared under mist and stars. There were many stairs, bridges, platforms, and levels that connected the library from one side to the other. The high shelves were lined with books. It seemed endless.

“Please sign in right here.” The woman said when she led Jennie to the front counter. The front counter had a name plaque that read, what Jennie assumed the woman’s name was, Secretary Park Soo Young.

A leather journal was opened to the first page. It didn’t seem that many people visited the library. Jennie picked up the quill from the ink pot. She read the logs before her. There were only six, but one of them caught her eye. _Kim Ji Soo. She had visited this library before?_

After Jennie signed her name, Soo Young handed her a sticker tag that said visitor. 

“Did you come here on your own accords, or did someone recommend you here?” Soo Young asked with a quill in hand, like she was conducting a survey.

“Someone recommended me here.” Jennie answered.

Soo Young marked something next to Jennie’s name in the log in one of the two columns. Jennie noticed that Ji Soo was marked in the other column. _She must’ve come here on her own accords._

“Who recommended you here, if you don’t mind me asking?” Soo Young continued.

“Chae Young, actually.” Jennie said.

Soo Young’s eyes brightened from her name. “You’ve met Chae Young~a?” She exclaimed.

“Yeah, in the Midnight Train.”

“Chae Young~a is always traveling. She is so wise.” Soo Young gushed. “I wished she visited me more. It gets lonely here.”

Jennie stood awkwardly as the woman sighed and looked at the distance longily. “Anyway,” she continued, “what might interest you today to visit the Celestial Library?”

“I wanted to find more about me.” Jennie replied.

“Okay.” Soo Young swiveled in the small office chair to a device. It seemed like a computer, but it looked more like a satellite. “Jennie Kim, is that right?”

Jennie nodded. Soo Young tapped something into the satellite. It whirred and from the tip of it, it protruded wavelengths that took the form of an arrow.

“Alright, let’s go.” Soo Young exclaimed, picked up the satellite, and began following it like a GPS. Jennie hurried to catch up.

Jennie wasn’t wearing any shoes. Neither was Soo Young. She explained that it’s quieter without shoes, which seemed like a fair explanation. The smell was fresh and crisp like a forest. Jennie’s eyes gazed at the shelves as they passed. The labels were Enochian, Jennie assumed, because she still couldn’t read them. There was not one particle of dust.

Soo Young turned into an aisle. The aisles were dimmer from the high shelves and narrow. The satellite Soo Young carried emitted a faint blue light, enough for them to see. Finally, it let out a small beep and Soo Young stopped.

“Your book should be this one.” She said and pulled out a book from the shelves. The books neighboring it didn’t move or fall.

Jennie touched the familiar book. It looked new, like it was printed yesterday, as opposed to its counterpart at the Circus. The red pressed title was in Enochian.

“Let me translate it for you.” Soo Young offered and tapped the book lightly.

Jennie could now make out the title now, _The Tale of the Stranger and the Wolf. Why is she in this book?_

All the answers to her burning questions lied in these pages. Jennie couldn’t bring herself to open it. What will she discover?

After a few moments, Jennie finally willed her finger to turn the corner of the cover. The book opened and warped her into the context of the pages.

~

Jennie was in a throne room. The pillars rose high and there were huge arched stained windows. Gold chandeliers hung from the round ceiling. A red carpet was draped on the floor that crossed the whole room. At the end of the carpet was an elevated platform with stairs and a ten foot high obsidian throne. Light bounced off it. At the ends of the arms of the throne were statues of crows. 

Sat on the throne was a large, powerful man. A gold crown decorated with many jewels and crystals sat on his raven black curly hair. He was clean shaven. He was dressed in black robes with black fur. At his side was a gold staff with familiar strange carvings and a head of a crow at the tip.

At the foot of the stairs of the throne was a kneeling girl. Her long scarlet hair was messy and hid her face because she was looking down at the floor. She was cladded in black leather armor and boots. On her hip was a sheath for a blade. Around her neck was the same leather pouch.

_The Nightingale served under the Imperial King._ A voice narrated in Jennie’s mind. It sounded like Soo Young.

“You have failed again.” The Imperial King condemned. 

“Yes, Your Majesty.” The Nightingale said blankly.

“I would have had your head off and staked by now.” He warned. “Fail me once more and I’ll make sure to see to that.”

The girl was dismissed with a wave of the hand. When she raised her head to walk out, Jennie knew that ethereal face anywhere. _Ji Soo…_ Jennie followed her.

Once Ji Soo was outside the throne room, she slid down the marble wall and buried her head into her arms and knees. Her shoulders shook. Jennie had a strong urge to comfort her, but she was just an observer. Then, another girl, in a petite flower dress arrived, and placed her hand on Ji Soo’s head. Jennie was looking at a mirror of herself.

_The Nightingale was close friends with the youngest daughter of the Imperial King, Jennie Kim, since they were children._

Ji Soo rose her head and locked eyes with the girl. They gave warm smiles to each other.

A whirlwind of pages erupted in Jennie’s vision, blowing a strong gust of wind until it settled down to reveal a new scene. Ji Soo and her were perched on a cliff that hung over the royal gardens. The scenery was lively and full of nature. The girls watched the gardeners tend to the bushes and plants below.

Ji Soo whispered something into past Jennie’s ear and she giggled and blushed. Their hands inched closer together until they clasped. They looked away shyly. Suddenly, past Jennie quickly pecked Ji Soo on the lips, making the scarlet girl turn the color of her hair. 

_A young love blossomed between the two girls. They met in secret for 100 months. However, little did they know, a crow was watching them this time._

While the two girls giggled and smiled at each other lovingly, a caw came from the forest behind them. A familiar caw that Jennie had heard numerous times throughout her venture. 

_The King’s crow came back to its master._

The pages flipped and now Jennie was in a study room at the top of one of the castle towers. The Imperial King was overlooking his empire through the window when the same crow came back. It perched on his shoulder and cawed. A shadow formed across his face.

_His suspicions were right._

The Imperial King was now speaking to his Right Hand, a small man with buzzed hair. “I will destroy her and her brother.” He seethed. 

The vision panned to outside the oak door, where another girl, slightly older than the other two girls, was listening with her ear pressed against the wood. She had blonde hair styled in a braid and a similar petite dress.

_The oldest daughter, Park Chae Young, had overheard her father’s intentions. She must warn them._

As the pages flipped, Soo Young continued to narrate.

_Jennie was trapped in her room by the orders of the king. The girls had no mother. No one to help them. Chae Young couldn’t get past the guards. They didn’t allow anyone to enter the room. She had to get help. She knew Ji Soo would help._

The whirlwind of pages died down to a grassy field. The same grassy field Jennie had envisioned before. There was a small clearing in the middle of the tall grass. It had a small wooden hut, a campfire outside, a tap for water, and clothes hanging from a handmade clothesline made of wire.

_The Nightingale and her brother, the Wolf, lived a few universes away from the empire. They had no parents. Their parents died when they were very young, leaving them to live on their own._

Jennie witnessed a familiar scene. Ji Soo and Seok Jin were a few feet from their hut, playing and chasing each other. She also saw Chae Young appear over the grass. She was in the white sundress.

Chae Young mouthed something, but she was too far for them to hear. Then, the storm of crows arrived. Seok Jin screamed at Ji Soo to go. A dog was barking from their hut. Not a dog, it was the mutated wolf. It looked as ugly as ever, only that it was slightly smaller.

Seok Jin’s hands glowed and wings protruded from his back. His eyes glowed, the similar glow that emitted from Jennie’s mark. Ji Soo tugged at her brother’s arm to no avail.

Ji Soo pulled out the same rod and drew the same triangle with a circle in the middle on the ground. One last look at her brother and she jumped into the light. Seok Jin, with his dog by his side, stood firm as the storm of crows swooped down to engulf them.

_T_ _he Wolf gave Ji Soo time to escape._

The pages flipped and Jennie was in a dim chamber. The only source of light was a lit candle that was only a stub and the moonlight through the window. A small girl was on her bed, hugging her knees. From the shadows emerged Ji Soo. 

_Before Ji Soo could go, she had to see Jennie. One last time._

Past Jennie jumped in surprise, but Ji Soo swiftly climbed onto the bed and placed a finger on her lips to stop any noise from coming out.

“Jennie.” She whispered, so quietly that Jennie had to strain to hear her. “He found out about us. He took my brother. He’s going to take me next.”

The tension heated as the two girls stared into each other’s eyes, afraid of what was to come. Despite the dark lighting, it was evident that tears pooled Ji Soo’s eyes. Past Jennie brought her hand up to wipe them gently with her thumb.

“Ji Soo…” She breathed. Her hands slowly cupped the crying girl.

She kissed the tears that fell on her cheeks. Her kisses trailed to Ji Soo’s heart shaped lips, which she kissed gently; soft, yet full of yearning. The longing and heartbreak from the hearts of both girls turned the gentle kiss into a passionate one. As the pace quickened, the two girls turned and laid on the bed with Ji Soo on top. Their hands roamed hastily, absorbing the other’s touch, and their lips locked hungrily, trying to relish the taste of each other for the last time. Finally, they pulled away, breaths haggard and chests heaving. 

The moonlight streaming from the window allowed the girls to see each other’s faces. They drank in every inch of their lover’s face. Their foreheads pressed on the other, both savoring the moment, the space between them: their warmth, their breathing, their heartbeats.

Shouting and footsteps emerged from outside the door. Ji Soo pushed herself off past Jennie and began to draw the triangle. When it was ready, and before she stepped inside the light, past Jennie’s hand reached for hers. Ji Soo refused to look back despite her heart yearning for the girl. Fighting back tears, she pulled her hand away and jumped into the light, leaving the heartbroken girl in her wake.

Just as the light died down, the chamber door slammed open to reveal the Imperial King accompanied by two guards at his flank.

“Jennie.” He growled. “Come to the throne room.”

_The Imperial King was furious that he didn’t catch the Nightingale. By this time, the Wolf was already falling through the depths of the Underworld to his endless torment. Trying to find the Nightingale’s whereabouts, he captured her friend that helped her and her brother survive._

The throne room looked ominous at night time. The chandeliers flickered, casting dancing shadows along the pillars and guards that lined the red carpet. Past Jennie was escorted by four guards around her. At the foot of the steps, hands bound behind her, was Bae Joo Hyun.

The Imperial King sat on his throne. He casted a dark aura as he looked down at his daughter.

“You have dared to commit treason against me.” He stated with no remorse. “Forming a love with my assassin, a female at that.” His voice spat vilely at the mention of the gender.

He turned to Joo Hyun, who stood firmly and unafraid. “Where is the Nightingale, girl?” He barked. “You have one more chance to tell me.”

Joo Hyun stayed silent, glaring at the king with fierce eyes. 

The king’s nose flared. “Take her!” He roared to his guards. “Chop her up!”

_Bae Joo Hyun had her soul chopped up into a million pieces and scattered throughout the universes. All of them were her, but none could merge together and remember their true person. It’s like millions of puzzle pieces._

The king turned his attention to past Jennie. “You are no daughter of mine.” He seethed coolly.

_Before he could say anything else, the entrance doors bursted open. Stood at the doors was Chae Young._

“Father!” She cried out, walking hastily to the throne. The guards alongside quickly blocked her way.

“Chae Young.” The Imperial King said with no love behind his voice. “This is none of your concern.”

“None of my concern?” The girl exploded. “That’s my sister!”

The two sisters locked eyes. Understanding passed between them. The king was no father to them.

Chae Young tried to tear her way between the guards, but between big men clad in iron armor and a teenage girl, she didn’t make any break. The king diverted his attention away from the commotion and turned back to past Jennie.

“Jennie Kim, you will be cast from my empire. You will lose your immortality. You will live the rest of your lifetimes as a mere petty human. You will be erased from our family’s history. You are now a stranger.” 

Chae Young’s screams echoed as the scene slowed down to a greyscale. 

_Thus, Jennie Kim was exiled and dubbed in history as the Stranger. Chae Young, disgusted by the morbid merciless act by her father, ran away from home, riding the Midnight Train, until she met the Librarian along the way, who took her in as his assistant._

After the whirlwind of pages, Jennie was back in the library and with Soo Young. Her body trembled. There was an inch of remaining blank parchment.

“The book isn’t finished yet.” Soo Young explained. “Chae Young said it was a work in progress.”

Jennie felt like she was about to pass out from an overloaded brain. She stumbled backward a little before Soo Young caught her arm to balance herself.

“Let’s get you a seat.” Soo Young proposed sympathetically.

~

Soo Young sat Jennie down at a small reading area. She returned with a cup of tea. Jennie sipped it.

“This is a common reaction.” Soo Young said to cheer the girl up. “People gain too much knowledge that they simply can’t process it.”

The tea soothed Jennie’s mind. It wasn’t like normal tea. It tasted much more divine.

Slowly, she brought the pieces together. The times Ji Soo couldn’t come save her was because a crow was watching. Her father was watching, trying to catch the Nightingale. That time her heartstrings tugged at Ji Soo was because of their love. 

A wave of emotions crashed into her heart. Eons of heartbreak, yearning, and love.

“A woman named Kim Ji Soo came here.” Jennie stated.

“Sorry?” Soo Young said.

“I saw in the logbook. Why did she come here?”

Soo Young pursed her lips. “I’m not supposed to disclose personal information about visitors.”

Jennie held Soo Young’s hand. “Please.” She said with desperate eyes.

Soo Young tried to fight it, but she finally gave in. “Only because you know Chae Young~a.” She said reluctantly.

They returned to the front counter where Soo Young pulled out another journal. She flipped to the first page and skimmed with her finger.

“Ji Soo came to learn more about…” Soo Young said while reading, “dimension traveling, piecing back souls, and the Underworld. I remembered when she stayed here for centuries and studied hard.” She recalled.

_She came to try to piece back Joo Hyun._ Jennie assumed, thinking about all the fragments of Joo Hyun she met. She felt sad and guilty. _I need to find Ji Soo._

Suddenly, the library shook once. Jennie grasped the counter to balance herself. A pause, then another wave of shock came. 

“What is happening?” Soo Young cried.

Jennie’s wrist began to burn. She looked down and saw the inked wolf eyes glow again. _Oh no…_

A roar echoed from outside. Jennie ran to the doors and bursted outside. 

At the front was Lupus, Seok Jin’s mutated pet. It found her.


	6. Ichor

Lupus howled, the strength blowing waves that rippled Jennie’s hair and dress.

“What… is that…” Soo Young trembled behind Jennie.

“Stay back.” Jennie warned. Soo Young didn’t have to be told twice. The poor woman looked like she was close to passing out.

Jennie stepped down the steps until she felt the cool grass beneath her feet. The dog wanted her, and her only. Soo Young will not die today. No one will die today.

Lupus snarled and bared his claws at Jennie. She stood there determined, but she didn’t have any sort of weapon. She can’t even control that damned mark on her wrist.  _ Crap. _

The dog charged. Jennie managed to dodge it by rolling away. When she got back on her feet, its tail swept across, smashing her ankles with a crack. Jennie flipped over from the force and landed hard on her back. Her legs felt paralyzed.

Lupus stood over her and screeched, breathing hot, musty breath into her face. Jennie winced and closed her eyes, awaiting the execution.

Before it could slice her head off, someone swiftly landed on its back and wrapped its neck with their legs. Lupus shrieked, flailing to shake off the intruder. They held on tightly. Unsheathing a blade from the hip, the tip plunged into its neck gushing out black blood. Lupus let out an ear piercing howl.

When the figure gracefully hopped off the dog as it howled and staggered from the wound, Jennie catched the glimpse of scarlet hair that glowed beneath the stars.  _ Ji Soo came to save me. _

Ji Soo stood over Jennie protectively, watching Lupus closely in a fighting stance. It roared, but it didn’t engage quite yet. It sniffed the familiar scent of a previous owner. It seemed to be studying Ji Soo.

Ji Soo charged. Lupus swiped its claws, but she was too swift, dodging it and cutting its leg. It fell on its knees with another howl. The woman saw this opportunity and aimed for the face, but Lupus foreseen the move and striked the blade away. She was thrown off her feet and her blade skidded across to the other side of the platform.

She got up and reached in her pouch, taking out the same rod. Her arms rose above her head. She closed her eyes, her mouth muttering something under her breath. The stars glowed brighter, as if responding to her call.

Lupus lunged, but a bright beam of white energy shot from above to Ji Soo’s rod that absorbed it like a lightning rod. She aimed the purple crystal at the dog, the beam flowing through the tip. The beam shot through, peeling away at the black, obsidian skin, emitting another ear piercing screech. She held the blasting rod with steady hands, her hair flowing, her eyes flashed with gold and blue like thunderstorms.

The energy died down and left a writhing creature that was mostly just bones left. Ji Soo walked over to it, remorse in her face. She stroked its head gently before lifting it up by the leg and throwing it over the platform. 

The woman ran over to Jennie, who was able to sit herself up to watch the fight. Jennie was ecstatic to see her and that Lupus was defeated. A bright smile formed on her lips before it quickly shifted to an O. 

A wave of pain flared from her wrist. Agonizing pain, like her wrist was torched. Jennie fell, clutching her burning wrist, but Ji Soo swiftly caught her head in her arms. 

“Jennie, what’s wrong?” She sputtered as the woman’s face contorted in agony and only emitting cries of pain.

Ji Soo eyed the wrist that she clutched, the one with the Mark of the Wolf. The dark ink had changed to blood red and pulsated a golden glow. Color drained from her face. She whipped her head to the entrance, where Soo Young stood fearfully.

“Soo Young!” She called over with urgency. “Help me!”

The woman ran over and kneeled next to Ji Soo. She pointed at her wrist. “What’s wrong with her wrist?” Ji Soo demanded. “How do I fix it?”

Soo Young’s mind jumbled up from the pressure and urgency of the situation. “Uh…”

“Soo Young!” Ji Soo pleaded, her arms cradling Jennie.

Soo Young squeezed her eyes, trying to visualize all her knowledge from the books.  _ A place to heal, a place to heal… _ Something clicked.

“The Twilight Forest.” She said.

Ji Soo nodded firmly. Before she started drawing the triangle, Soo Young grasped her hand.

“I wish you luck and good fortune, Ji Soo.” Soo Young said.

Ji Soo gave a small smile. “Say hello to Chae Young for me.”

She hugged Jennie tightly as the triangle’s light engulfed them.

~

The birds chirped and sang. The leaves of trees blew peacefully in the soft breeze. The water was clear and flowed down the stream. In a blink of an eye, two women appeared in the middle of the peaceful environment.

Ji Soo gently laid down Jennie while she took out a red camping tent from her pouch. After it was set up, she lifted Jennie bridal style through the flap.

It was a magical tent. The inside was much bigger, resembling the interior of a small cabin. Ji Soo laid Jennie down on the feathered mattress that had a small drawer on the side with a lit iron lantern. She pressed a palm on her forehead. The woman burnt with fever.

Ji Soo went to work. She wet a towel and draped it on Jennie’s forehead before scavenging outside. The Twilight Forest was known to have many healing herbs, plants, and nutrients that could heal almost any illness, injury, and pain. From what she studied, Ji Soo picked out some and returned to the tent.

She went to the kitchen counter and began grinding up the plants into paste to feed Jennie. Filling a cup of water, she returned to Jennie’s bedside and sat her up. 

“Drink.” Ji Soo coaxed, holding the brim of the cup to Jennie’s lips. Jennie sipped it weakly.

Ji Soo set the cup down and fed Jennie the paste in small amounts. Her face twisted from the bitterness. Ji Soo was able to feed Jennie half of the paste. A small amount of color returned to her face and her lips lessened from blue. 

“Ji Soo.” Jennie said weakly. “I’m cold.”

Ji Soo draped a brown fur blanket over the shivering woman. She sat down next to the low mattress.

“How are you feeling?” Ji Soo asked, hoping that her herbal skills worked.

“It hurts.” Jennie moaned, referring to her wrist. “It hurts so much that I want to chop it off.”

Ji Soo’s heart dropped. Her efforts weren’t enough. She stroked Jennie’s hair, trying to calm her down.

“You came to save me.” Jennie said, her voice weak and faint.

Ji Soo nodded. “This time I did, and I will forever. I tried to protect you. The more you knew about yourself, the more I couldn’t. It was too dangerous for you and I.”

“My father.” Jennie said with remorse. “You’re scared of him. He’s been following me, trying to catch you.”

Sadness and guilt filled Ji Soo’s eyes. “I’m a coward.” She looked away shamefully.

Jennie’s hand laid on top of Ji Soo’s reassuringly. “You are not a coward.” She said firmly.

Ji Soo locked with Jennie’s soft eyes. Eons of longing and heartache rushed between them. Now, fate has brought them together in the cruelest way it could.

~

Jennie managed to fall asleep, but her face was still uneasy and grimacing from the burning sensation. Ji Soo observed her silently, her chest rising, her lips parting slightly. The mark still burnt bright and strong.

Ji Soo was drained, but she knew she had to visit Seok Jin. One more time. Reaching inside her pouch, she pulled out a black, silky feather that came from her brother’s wings. Resting it on her palm, she closed her eyes and focused on channeling energy and her consciousness into it.

The room disappeared. Whispers of souls grew louder and hissed into her ear. She felt her mind fog from the effort, but gritted her teeth to fight through it. Finally, she opened her eyes.

Seok Jin was lying on the floor now. He was scrawny, his once defined muscles reduced to bony limbs. His cheeks sunk, and his lips were white. He stared up to the dim light that casted over him for eternity.

“Ji Soo.” He said with a dead voice, laced with betrayal, without looking at her. “So this is how it turns out.”

Ji Soo kneeled down next to her brother. His eyes no longer had a hint of gold and blue. It was two empty dark pockets, a shell of the boy he used to be.

“You killed Lupus.” He said mournfully. “He’s been with us since we were children.”

Guilt and hurt clawed at her heart. His words stung.

“You keep choosing her. Over and over again. Over your own family. Why?” Seok Jin asked with despair.

“I think… she is the key to freeing you.” Ji Soo said. “She can save all of us.”

“Are you doing this for me, or are you doing this for her?” He lashed back rhetorically.

“You’re not being fair to me.” She cried, tears of guilt, frustration, and confusion forming. She tried to say more, but it was hard to speak through the lump forming in her throat.

Her mind began to fog and she couldn’t think straight. Distant screams echoed through her head.  _ A vulnerable mind is more prone to darkness, _ she recalled from her studies.  _ And with her less than usual amount of sanity… _

Before Ji Soo could turn to leave, Seok Jin’s hand shot out to grab her wrist. She was shocked from the abrupt action. “Seok Jin!” She gasped.

“You’re going back to her.” He said in a monotone. “She deserves that mark. She’s only in pain because of you. Because you murdered Lupus.”

Ji Soo pulled, but his clammy hand held hers in an iron grip. In the darkness, faint outlines began to form. Outlines of dead souls, spirits, and people.

“Stay here with me, little sister.” He cooed. “Stay here with me.  _ They _ kept me company for eons.”

The outlines became clearer and clearer as darkness ate through her mind. They walked slowly over to her. Ji Soo tugged at her wrist with panic. Finally, she was able to rip out from his grip, but it was too late.

The souls surrounded her, inching closer and closing the gap between them. Ji Soo backed away with shaking legs. Her vision blurred and cleared, like an unfocused camera. She unknowingly bumped into a soul hard and fell. She scrambled away.

As the souls enclosed the circle, Ji Soo clasped her hands on her ears, trying to drown out the screams that echoed within. Her face contorted with pain and terror. Suddenly, a hand was placed on her shoulder from above, pulling her up and out of the Underworld.

Ji Soo gasped like she came out from underwater. Jennie was shaking her shoulders with an alarmed look. “Wake up, Ji Soo!” She yelled with distress.

Ji Soo’s eyes were still black, pupils and all. She shoved Jennie off and stumbled backward, crashing into the counter. Her fingers clawed through her hair erratically, as if she was trying to dig out the darkness embedded in her mind.

“Ji Soo!” Jennie cried out, pulling herself across the floor. Her ankles were still broken from the impact of Lupus’ tail.

“Get out my head! Get out my head!” The deranged woman whimpered while crawling into a fetal position against the wooden counter. “Get away from me!”

She tried to slap Jennie away, but with her good wrist, Jennie stopped her hand, grabbing it in midair. From the rush of adrenaline, Jennie steeled her grip. Ji Soo’s other hand tried to fight back, but Jennie trapped it by pulling her into a tight embrace, reducing her movement. Ji Soo squirmed from under, punching weakly on Jennie’s chest.

“Let go of me!” She sobbed.

Without thinking, Jennie pulled away briefly, but before Ji Soo could retaliate, she quickly closed the gap with a kiss.

Ji Soo’s body tensed up from the unexpected contact. Jennie’s lips pressed hard against hers, pleading for her to snap out of it. Finally, the tensed woman relaxed, returning the kiss. Jennie pulled away panting.

Ji Soo’s tear stained eyes returned from its blackened state. Her lips quivered and she trembled.

“You’re back.” Jennie smiled with relief before her eyes rolled to the back of her head and blacked out.

~

Subduing Ji Soo drained all of Jennie’s energy and strength. She was already weak, making her worst off from before. The woman was paler, breathed more rapidly, and had high temperatures.

Ji Soo cried silently as Jennie rested on the bed. _I’m sorry, Seok Jin._ _I love you._ The image of his sullen face played through her head.

An unusual rustle, distinct from the peacefulness of the forest, perked Ji Soo’s ears. It seemed to be walking around their tent. She grabbed her rod and cautiously exited the tent.

The moonlight was bright. A campfire was in front, stoked by a black hooded figure that has their back turned from Ji Soo. Next to him, tied to a tree, was a snow white llama in lapis blue cloth laced, with gold and silver linen. A leather pouch was draped over its back. It was chewing on a leaf.

Ji Soo approached the figure slowly with her rod raised, the purple tip aimed and ready to strike. Suddenly, he turned around to Ji Soo, making her pause.

“Ah, you finally came out of your tent.” He said, as if anticipating her. “Would you like a roasted marshmallow?”

Ji Soo gave him a weird look while he held up a stick, the tip containing a brown marshmallow. She eyed the llama that was looking at her with beady eyes, chewing its leaf.

She stepped carefully beside the campfire. The man had a warm smile and a scruffy beard. His hood hid half his face.

“Take off your hood.” She ordered. She was uneasy to not know his identity.

“I don’t think you want to see what’s under my hood.” He warned with a light chuckle.

“I don’t care.” Ji Soo deadpanned.

The man sighed and reached up to pull his hood down, revealing long white hair that grew past his ears and eyebrows. From underneath his bangs, Ji Soo saw red empty sockets, like someone gouged out his eyes. She bit back a gasp.

“Most people get surprised when I remove my hood.” He said sadly. “You are the first to not be.”

“Who are you?” She said.

“I’m the Traveling Merchant.” He introduced himself. “I’ve come here to offer you some goods for good prices. Not many people come by the Twilight Forest.”

The Traveling Merchant pulled out a small glass bottle from within his cloak. The liquid inside glowed an intense blue. 

“My mind tells me that you are in need of medicine.” He said. “None of what you made worked. I promise you that this is the medicine you need for your sickly friend.”

_ How did he know about Jennie? _ Ji Soo eyed the man suspiciously. Despite the fact that he had no eyes, he seemed to urge her through those sockets. 

“How can I trust you?” She inquired.

“This medicine was extracted from the roots of the universe before it branched out to many.” He explained. “It is superior to any medicine in the Twilight Forest. It is the only medicine that can heal  _ all  _ pain, magical or not.”

Ji Soo was tempted. She wasn’t sure how much longer Jennie could hold out.  _ It was true that none of her medicine from the Twilight Forest worked. This was her last resort. _ Her worry and fear for Jennie overrode her doubts. 

“Okay.” Ji Soo gave in. “What will it cost?”

The Traveling Merchant smiled slyly from the easy persuasion. “The thing keeping you alive for eons.” He said. 

“Your immortality.”

~

Jennie stirred awake. She bursted with bliss and energy as if she woke up from a good slumber. Her body stopped aching and her ankles were mended. The mark, once bright and burning, returned back to its original state of dark ink.

“How are you feeling?” Ji Soo, who was resting against the wall, asked eagerly.

“I think I’m healed.” Jennie exclaimed, flexing her body. “Your healing worked!”

Jennie beamed at Ji Soo, who smiled brightly. A flash of something in Ji Soo’s eyes was quickly buried with joy. Before Jennie could think much of it, Ji Soo held out a bowl of food.

“I made this for you, in case you were hungry.” Ji Soo bubbled, taking pride in her food. 

Jennie took the bowl and looked inside. There were rolls of kimbap. “Thank you.” Jennie thanked, her heart swelling up with appreciation.

When Jennie bit into the roll, she paused and tensed her face up, trying to keep her face neutral. Her shoulders dropped from disappointment.  _ Maybe Ji Soo should’ve studied cooking in the Celestial Library too. _

Ji Soo craned her neck to look at Jennie, wondering why she stopped eating. “Do you like it?” She asked heartily with puppy eyes.

Jennie forced herself to eat the whole roll, fighting back the extreme saltiness of it.  _ Why did she have to put so much salt? _ Jennie thought in despair.

“Yes.” Jennie said through an awkward forced smile. “It was delicious.”

“Eat more!” Ji Soo encouraged, pushing the bowl to Jennie’s chest. “I can make as much as you want.”

Jennie let out a dry laugh. “I think I’m fine. I’m not that hungry.”

Ji Soo pouted. The act made Jennie feel a pang of guilt for refusing to eat more. “We can eat more later!” Jennie added hurriedly to try to raise the pouting woman’s mood.

Ji Soo nodded understandably. “Yes, of course. You need to rest now.”

She took the bowl from Jennie and proceeded to the kitchen to store it away. Her back was turned to Jennie, but Jennie could see that Ji Soo tasted a kimbap and her face contorted from the saltiness. She stiffened a giggle with her hand.

Ji Soo returned with a warm cup of tea. Jennie sipped it, humming at the tastiness that washed down the salty kimbap. Ji Soo watched her with a smile, at how she danced a little with happiness. A comfortable silence washed between them.

Suddenly, Jennie dropped the mug and spilled the tea all over the blanket. Her hand clutched her marked wrist again. Ji Soo seized her wrist in bewilderment. When she looked at it, she paled. The dark ink had turned crimson red.

“I thought it was over.” Ji Soo mumbled. “The Traveling Merchant said it would be over.”

“Who?” Jennie groaned, her body twitching.

Ji Soo thought quickly, disregarding Jennie’s question.  _ Lupus is dead. Seok Jin is still alive. What would make the mark react? _

Dread dawned on her face. Ji Soo released Jennie’s wrist and hurried over to the flap of the tent. When she pulled up the flap slightly, a red glow streamed into the cabin, confirming her fear before she had to open the flap further.

The crimson moon rose high and bright, casting an eerie blood lighting across the Twilight Forest. The river streamed with thick, red liquid. The air, from fresh and crisp, turned to the smell of iron.

The Blood Moon has risen.


	7. Fate

Jennie became crazed. She fought to suppress and resist the mark, but she was losing a mental battle. The mark was quickly eating up her thoughts, replacing them with blood and flesh.

“Tie me up.” Jennie implored. “I don’t want to hurt you, Ji Soo.”

Ji Soo was reluctant out of fear, but proceeded to do it only because Jennie wanted it. She bounded Jennie’s hands behind her back with rope and tied it to a wooden pillar in the corner of the room. 

Jennie’s vision became clouded with blood red. She became more erratic when she watched the wood of the cabin fall away, revealing that familiar throbbing flesh and purple veins. She screamed.

“Jennie!” Ji Soo said, distressed. “I’m here. I’m here.”

It seemed that Jennie couldn’t hear her because she continued to tug on the rope that scraped and peeled the skin around her wrists until it exposed pink flesh, and squirmed violently. Ji Soo, for a brief second, saw blood seeping through the wood panels. She blinked and it was gone.

_ The Blood Moon creates hallucinations to drive minds to insanity. _ Ji Soo remembered studying it in the Celestial Library. To make things a lot worse, her ears picked up the dreadful sound that she had been avoiding for eons. The caws of crows.

_ They had to get out of the forest fast. _

Ji Soo hurried to draw the portal from her rod. When she turned to grab Jennie, she only saw a pile of untied rope.

“Jennie-” 

Before she could finish calling her name, a black pan was smacked across the back of her head with a loud  _ PANG _ . Ji Soo fell to the floor, her vision blurred and her mind boggled with confusion. Before she could recover, a fist grabbed a handful of her scarlet hair and threw her to the kitchen. The impact dropped a few plates and glassware, littering broken glass on the floor. The bowl of kimbap fell and dropped the rolls everywhere. Ji Soo grimaced when she tried to pick herself up because the glass pieces cut into her hand.

Jennie stood over her with murderous blood red eyes. 

“Jennie…” Ji Soo said, fear building up inside her, clogging her chest.

**Stab her… stab her… STAB HER!**

The woman took the knife from a knife block, emitting the sheathing sound of metal, and advanced. Ji Soo rolled out the way when she swept the blade to where Ji Soo was a few seconds ago. The inhumane speed Jennie gained cut the end of a few strands of Ji Soo’s hair.

Ji Soo saw that her portal was still open and shining brightly.  _ All I have to do is get Jennie to the portal. _

Ji Soo edged closer to the portal while facing Jennie. The woman twitched like a parasite was inside of her. Ji Soo coaxed her to come at her. Taking the bait, Jennie charged with her knife out.

Ji Soo waited, then timed herself to move aside right as Jennie got to her, and grabbed her around the waist from behind. The knife slashed her abdomen, but Ji Soo’s determination overrode the pain. Then, with all her strength, she pushed the both of them into the portal with one person’s name in mind.

_ Chae Young. _

~

Jennie’s head throbbed. She hasn’t opened her eyes yet, but she presumed that she was resting on a bed due to the cool blanket draped over her, the sheets, and the pillow. Her ears were muffled, but she could make out some words from the bickering of two other people in the room.

“Are you insane? ... if he caught you ...”

“I don’t know where else ... Please help me.”

A heavy sigh, then Jennie felt the bed dip a bit from someone sitting on the edge. Her eyes opened to Chae Young whose face was etched with worry. The lighting from the candle made her look more tan and her hair darker.

“How are you feeling, Jennie?” Chae Young asked tenderly.

Jennie’s mouth was dry. “Better.” She croaked. 

Chae Young handed Jennie a glass of water.

“You’re my sister.” Jennie said bluntly. 

Chae Young nodded. “So you found out.”

“Did you know me on the train?”

“I didn’t believe at first that my little sister had appeared again.” Chae Young said, looking away from her. “I thought you were a look alike. My instincts told me otherwise.”

Jennie reached over to hug Chae Young, who, shocked at first, hugged back. She felt the sisterly bond between them that warmed her heart and eased her mind. 

The bathroom door opened and a wet haired Ji Soo stepped out smelling fresh. A white towel hung from her neck and she wore black shorts with a black sports bra, revealing a toned stomach with a nasty scar across the abdomen. It looked like it just began to clot.

“You have really good shampoo.” Ji Soo commented cheerfully while stretching her arms. Her eyes brightened when she saw Jennie was up.

“Don’t move so much.” Chae Young chided. “That wound could still open up.”

Ji Soo chuckled and playfully hit Chae Young’s shoulder, in which she shot a serious glare at her. “Don’t worry, big sister.” Ji Soo said, flashing a quick, playful wink. “I heal fast.”

Chae Young sighed at the younger woman’s careless attitude. “I’ll go downstairs to get some more medicine from Mino.”

After she left the room, Ji Soo sat down where she had sat. 

“How did you get that?” Jennie asked with concern. 

“Oh, this?” Ji Soo acknowledged nonchalantly. “It’s nothing.”

Jennie’s hand reached over subconsciously to gently touch the scar. The brush of her fingers on Ji Soo’s abs made Ji Soo flustered, her cheeks burning bright red. 

A memory flashed before Jennie’s eyes. It was fogged with red, but she saw a knife in her hand and Ji Soo on the kitchen floor, looking up at her with fearful eyes.

“I did this to you.” Jennie mumbled sadly with regret.

Ji Soo quickly took Jennie’s hand in her hands. “No, you didn’t.” She shook her head firmly to reassure her. “I’m okay. We’re okay. Okay?”

Ji Soo pecked Jennie on the forehead, making the woman blush and smile softly. Ji Soo smiled warmly, satisfied that she was able to reassure her.

The front door opened. Chae Young returned with a small cup of silver goo. 

“Where are we?” Jennie asked while Chae Young applied and smeared the goo across Ji Soo’s wound, who was lying down on the bed.

“We’re at the Red Barrel, an inn in the outskirts of the Imperial Empire.” Chae Young explained.

“The Imperial Empire? Isn’t that-”

“Yep.” Chae Young said affirmatively. “The Imperial King’s empire, because of this little dummy here.”

Ji Soo yelped when Chae Young pressed against her wound harder from the statement. “To be fair,” Ji Soo said with hands raised, “I didn’t know where else to go and the situation was urgent.”

“What are you doing here, Chae Young?” Jennie asked.

Chae Young paused, her hand hovering over the wound. “I came here to rest. I’ve travelled a lot.”

Jennie pursed her lips, dubious of her reason. She finished applying the goo and Ji Soo threw on a white t-shirt. Jennie felt a little disappointed that she couldn’t admire her abs longer.

“To be honest,” Chae Young started, “I came here to observe the Imperial King, since current events have escalated with you and Ji Soo.”

“The empire has fallen under a tyrannical rule because the king has no heir. The people live in fear and he stays holed up in his castle. He’s been angrier and more merciless, executing anyone who dares protest against him. He’s basically a monster.”

A pregnant silence followed, both women processing the information. 

“We can’t live like this.” Ji Soo finally said with fists clenched. “We can’t spend the rest of our lifetimes running away from this man and letting him get away with how he’s treating those people.”

“What would we do?” Chae Young confounded. “Kill him?”

Both women gave Chae Young a deadpan stare. 

“Are you serious?” She cried in disbelief.

Jennie rubbed the mark on her wrist. The pitch black ink had faded a little. 

“Seok Jin can’t die unless I die, right?” Jennie said quietly.

“Jennie.” Chae Young warned. “You’re not thinking about what I’m thinking you’re thinking about.”

“This is the only way to stop this madness. Ji Soo’s right, we can’t live like this. All of us.”

Jennie and Ji Soo shared a glance, a glance mixed with determination and sadness. They have lived a cursed fate indeed.

“Jennie and I.” Ji Soo declared. “We will kill the Imperial King.”

~

After overcoming Chae Young’s reluctance, they began to form a plan to get into the throne room according to Chae Young’s knowledge.

First, they will dress as merchants and sneak in with Mino, Chae Young’s friend in the inn, who delivers food to the cooks. Second, they will sneak through the kitchen while Mino distracts the cooks. Once they pass the kitchen, they have to sneak past the numerous guards and servants.

“I can hide in the shadows.” Ji Soo said. “I can hide someone else with me too, but I would have to touch them physically at all times.”

They had to do it at nighttime, which was convenient because the food gets delivered at dusk. From there, they will hopefully make their way to the throne room successfully that lies at the heart of the castle.

Chae Young eyed the two women over the interior map of the castle. “You guys are serious.” She said again, still in disbelief. 

They both nodded.

As the day neared dusk, Chae Young was able to steal two sets of merchant clothes from the inn’s laundry. The clothes were baggy and big on them, but it furthered their disguise. To finish it off, they tied their hair into low buns and wore newsboy caps.

Outside the inn, Mino was tending to his horse that pulled the cart of vegetables and fruit. Before Jennie and Ji Soo hopped on the cart, Chae Young pulled them into a strong embrace and bursted into tears.

“You two.” She sputtered in between sobs. “I love you two so much and you will always be in my heart.”

Jennie’s heart ached from the bitter goodbye and tears formed. The three women hugged each other heartily.

“We need to go.” Mino said from the horse, unsure of whether to break up the crying women or not.

Jennie and Ji Soo waved from the back of the cart to Chae Young, who stood watching them until they were out of sight. They sat across from each other. The road was rocky, making them jump and sway in their seats. Ji Soo reached for Jennie’s hand and held it reassuringly. They locked eyes. They tried to stay strong for each other, but both eyes were filled with heartbreak for what was to come.

~

The tip of the castle came into view when they crossed over a hill. Jennie was shocked at the beauty of the towering castle. The exterior glistened with quartz, it had a domed top, and the towers on each corner stood tall. The stone walls blocked the rest of the empire from her view.

The horse clopped through the guard check at the entrance. The guard looked at Jennie and Ji Soo skeptically, but didn’t say anything. They had gone through the gate for castle needs, so Jennie couldn’t see the common people as they were already on castle grounds. She spotted the gardens and the cliff that hung over it that reminded her of what she read at the Celestial Library.

They arrived at the kitchen, which was on the side of the castle. The walls of the castle were colossal when standing right by it. They helped Mino unload the cart and pass the food to the cooks in an assembly line. Afterward, Mino began chatting with the cooks, allowing the two women to slip in and through.

When they were safely at the back of the kitchen, they proceeded to strip off the baggy merchant clothes, in which they wore black clothes underneath. They hid the pile of clothes behind a stove.

The chattering of Mino and the cooks muffled as Jennie and Ji Soo went deeper into the castle. Ji Soo led while holding Jennie’s hand tightly. She looked around the corner and to the side before moving, hugging the wall to blend in with the shadows.

The guards on patrol held iron lanterns and roamed. A few of them stopped to chat with the other before continuing on their route. When Ji Soo rounded a corner, Jennie quickly followed from the momentum, but Ji Soo pushed her back swiftly, shoving herself and Jennie against the wall as tightly as possible. Both held their breath, heartbeats quickening, as a guard walked past them. They released their breaths.

_ You okay? _ Ji Soo mouthed. Jennie nodded.

Ji Soo weaved through the hallways and corridors with expertise. They arrived at a set of familiar large, dark oak doors. Ji Soo squeezed Jennie’s hand and she squeezed back. Those doors were their final destination.

The double doors creaked open. They stepped on the red carpet. The throne room was more dark and cold from what Jennie had read. The chandeliers casted the same dancing shadows, only larger and more menacing. The throne at the end of the room was occupied. The Imperial King was waiting for them.

The doors closed behind them with a bang that echoed in the room. Hand in hand, Jennie and Ji Soo faced their tormentor.

He had not changed in appearance. He stroked his crow staff in a relaxed position. 

“The Nightingale and the Stranger.” He said coolly. “We meet again.”

Ji Soo squeezed Jennie’s hand a lot tighter from suppressed rage. She had been running from this man; this man who ruined her family and split her up from her love. Now after eons, she faced him again.

Ji Soo pulled out her rod and Jennie pulled out her blade that Chae Young lended her. The Imperial King stood up from his throne, raising his staff.

“I’ve been waiting for you, Nightingale, but it seems that you didn’t come here to chat.” He glowered.

With synergy, both charged at the king. 

Ji Soo moved with godly speed. She striked first, releasing a laser of light at the man, which he deflected with his staff with ease. Jennie came from the side and jabbed the blade, but he simply dodged it and whacked her on the hip. The blow threw her on the floor. Ji Soo took advantage of his switched attention and kicked the back of his knee, forcing him to kneel down.

The king swung his staff that Ji Soo dodged, but a pair of claws raked at her back. With a cry of pain, she rolled away, eyes trying to find what attacked her.

A gigantic crow screeched in Ji Soo’s face, its large wings flapping so wide it blew wind. From the corner of her eye, she saw Jennie fighting with the king.

When the crow dived beak first, Ji Soo hopped out of the way, but grimaced from the injury her back suffered. Four gashes, from her shoulder to her hip, that dug deep and painted her back red. It should heal, but Ji Soo found herself getting weaker. It should heal… if she was immortal.

_ What is this? _ Ji Soo stumbled against the pillar, her head spinning with daze and dizziness. Her finger touched the blood and she brought it up to her eyes to see, dreadful realization forming on her face.  _ Poison…? _

The crow screeched again. Jennie still fought the king with strong determination and fierceness in her eyes. A slight glow emitted from her wrist, from the mark.

Ji Soo gripped her rod and with a roar, she manifested energy into the rod and directed the beams to the crow that split into several beams. The crow that thought it would dodge once, was pampered by the light that pierced right through its body and wings. It shrieked, falling in a downward spiral and landing on the floor with a huge thud.

Ji Soo, breathing heavily, turned her attention to the fighting pair. Her eyes became more blurry and her head started to pound and echo. “Jennie…” She called out weakly.

Jennie’s eyes glanced over at Ji Soo’s stumbling self. The distraction helped the king land a blow across Jennie’s head. She fell to the floor, her skull split open.

The king delivered a hard kick to Jennie’s stomach, knocking the breath out of her chest. He grinded his boot onto her chest, making her grit her teeth trying to endure the weight. Her hands clawed at his leg desperately, trying to breathe.

“I was glad that you were gone.” He jeered, looking down at the girl. “Good for nothing imbecile.”

The mark glowed brighter. Jennie felt herself getting lightheaded from the lack of air entering her lungs. Before the blackness consumed her vision, a blast of light hit the king square in the chest.

Jennie gasped heavily from the release of pressure on her chest. She choked and coughed. She looked over to Ji Soo, who was now crawling toward her with desperation, the rod abandoned by the pillar she occupied earlier.

They clasped hands. The mark was shining from the ink. Their eyes communicated a message that they understood; one of sorrow, but understanding. Jennie turned to the Imperial King, who was struggling to get up, using his staff to support himself.

Jennie forced herself up, grimacing and biting back the pain. Ji Soo collapsed on the floor, the poison consuming her whole. Her lips muttered weakly, something that Jennie couldn’t quite hear, but could make out.

_ Together. _

Jennie nodded firmly. “Together.”

The Imperial King had stood up, leaning on his staff. Jennie closed her eyes, channeling her whole mind and energy into the Mark of the Wolf. Her eyes opened, her brown orbs replaced with a white glow. 

The Imperial King roared and threw his staff like a javelin, the crow tip straight to Jennie’s heart. 

The white light exploded within her body. The Imperial King bellowed as it consumed and ripped the flesh off his skeleton, consuming the throne room, and consuming the whole castle.

~

“And that’s the story of the Stranger and the Wolf.” Chae Young finished, signing her name on the last page of the book.

Closing the book shut, she looked up at Soo Young and Gong Yoo who sat across the table from her. Soo Young was sipping on apple juice while Gong Yoo had his hands folded.

“Why didn’t you name it  _ The Tale of the Stranger and the Nightingale _ ?” Soo Young asked. “Since it was mostly about them two.”

Chae Young hummed in wonder, placing her finger on her lip in thought. “True, but it has a nice ring to it.” She concluded.

Gong Yoo beamed proudly when Chae Young gave him her finished book. “You are a true historian.” He praised her. “I hope there are many more books to come from Historian Park Chae Young.”

Chae Young smiled softly and thanked him. As the three of them walked together to place the book on its shelf, her mind wandered to Jennie and Ji Soo.

_ May they meet in another lifetime. _

END.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello~ I would like to thank everyone who stuck with this story until the end <3\. I know it might've been very confusing at the beginning.
> 
> I had this prompt as an original story four years ago and Jensoo motivated me to finish it lol. I might rewrite it in the future because I'm not really satisfied with how it turned out (tone, diction, and all). I wrote a lot more throughout the updates, so I think I can write it a lot better. Someday though :3
> 
> For fun, you can think of the ending as the reason for all my other stories. All in alternate universes ;)
> 
> Again, thank you very much!!!!!


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